The Miami Open presented by Itau will move to a new home in 2019.

IMG, an Endeavor company, announced on Wednesday that the tournament will be relocating to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019, aiming to bring an unparalleled fan experience, improved player amenities, ample parking, as well as an extended fan base to the tournament. Construction on the new tennis facilities will begin in 2018.

The Miami Open presented by Itau’s last event at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, where it has enjoyed a successful 32-year run, will begin in March. Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez will work closely to develop this reimagined event.

“The Miami Open belongs in Miami,” said WME and IMG Co-President Mark Shapiro. “We’re grateful to have amazing partners in Stephen, the Miami Dolphins organisation, Mayor Gimenez and above all the people of Miami who have been supporting the Miami Open for decades. While we’re looking forward to creating the new Miami Open experience at Hard Rock Stadium, our priority is to make the last edition of the Key Biscayne event the best it’s ever been.”

Ross is also happy to keep the tournament in South Florida.

“We are extremely excited that the Miami Open, a global entertainment event, will remain in our community,” Ross said. “We are committed to bringing a best-in-class experience alongside IMG to all of the players, fans and partners that will take part in this global affair. The opportunity to showcase the best tennis in the world in Hard Rock Stadium, a venue that brings together the best of culture, art and entertainment, will be an amazing experience for everyone involved.”

The move to Hard Rock Stadium will allow the Miami Open presented by Itau the freedom and flexibility to grow and innovate the event with improved infrastructure, upgraded amenities, expanded space and parking. The event will have 30 show and practice courts; a tennis oasis with the largest video screen of any tennis event; a sponsorship village with expanded and upgraded entertainment spaces; permanent retail facilities; improved Wi-Fi, media facilities, locker rooms and fitness space for players and tennis staff. The tournament’s sponsors will enjoy state-of-the-art hospitality options, improved activation areas, additional opportunities for brand exposure and access to new markets north of Miami-Dade County.

The centerpiece of the move will be a new Centre Court, which will showcase a 14,000-seat stadium within Hard Rock Stadium. Ross has invested more than $500 million into Hard Rock Stadium over the years, which boasts a state-of-the-art shade canopy, four giant high-definition video boards, new seats closer to the action, concourses, restrooms and retail outlets throughout the entire facility, and new premium spaces that raise the caliber for luxury within a sports facility.

The 2018 Miami Open presented by Itau, the second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season, will be played from 19 March-1 April. Roger Federer is the defending champion.

There has never been a question about Nick Kyrgios’ talent. But now the Australian is more determined than ever to make the most of it and continue his rise up the ATP World Tour. He will debut in the main draw of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, which will take place from 31 December through 7 January.

“I’m training much harder in the gym, so hopefully my body gets stronger and I can go deeper into tournaments on a more consistent basis,” Kyrgios said. “I’m taking much better care of my body now, and I feel like I’m giving myself the best possible chance of winning tennis matches. My hip isn’t troubling me and I’m being more disciplined with my rehab, so hopefully the hard work starts to pay off.”

The right-hander was hampered by a hip injury toward the end of the 2017 season, losing in the first round of three of his final four tournaments before ultimately cutting his campaign short after the European Open in Antwerp. The three-time ATP World Tour champion has been open about spending time on the basketball court for fun despite having some niggles.

“Playing lots of basketball wasn’t great for my body, people have told me that and I’m now starting to listen,” Kyrgios said. “So I’m feeling fit, healthy and as motivated as I have for a while. I feel much more ready to go and play good tennis than I did this time last year. I’ve also improved my diet, all the things you need to do to be at your best.”

Kyrgios got a practice session in on Wednesday at Queensland Tennis Centre, the home of the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp. He last appeared in Brisbane five years ago, losing in the first round of qualifying against compatriot James Duckworth.

The 22-year-old is plenty familiar with the facility ahead of his first main draw appearance at the tournament.

“I’ve also trained here in the off-season in the past, so I feel very comfortable out here,” Kyrgios said. “It’s a great tournament with a very strong field again this year, so I’m very excited. It’s great preparation for the Australian Open, but I’m not thinking about the A.O. or any other tournament at the minute. I’m just focused on getting my year off to a good start here in Brisbane.”

Other players competing in the event include Rafael Nadal, the No. 1 player in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Andy Murray and Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, who won in Brisbane last season.

Kyrgios’s most recent appearance was at a charity exhibition against Juan Martin del Potro on 15 December in Argentina. The Australian donated $100,000 of his appearance fee straight to his NK Foundation, which strives to both increase access to and provide sport to underprivileged & disadvantaged youth.

ATP ACES For Charity: Nick Kyrgios

While Kyrgios has not set any goals or completed his full schedule for 2018 just yet, he is excited about doing two things in particular.

“My main goals are just to stay healthy and play as much tennis as I can,” Kyrgios said.

Match Win-Loss Leaders
Slovenia’s Blaz Kavcic was the lone player to claim 50 match wins this year, but it was Yen-Hsun Lu earning the highest win percentage (min. 25 matches played). Kavcic is one of just five players to achieve the feat in ATP Challenger Tour history.

Singles Title Leaders
Serbians Filip Krajinovic (5) and Janko Tipsarevic (4) lifted the most trophies this year. Krajinovic’s five victories made him the biggest mover to the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, soaring 203 spots to a year-end No. 34. Tipsarevic completed a perfect 20-0 campaign, claiming a pair of titles on the hard courts of Bankgok and two more on the Chinese clay of Qingdao and Anning.

Teen Titlists (15)
Twelve different teenagers accounted for a total of 15 Challenger titles this year, with Denis Shapovalov, Frances Tiafoe and Felix Auger-Aliassime winning multiple crowns. At 16 years, 10 months, Auger-Aliassime became the eighth-youngest winner in history with his triumph in Lyon, France. 

At 17, Nicola Kuhn became the youngest from Spain to win a title since Rafael Nadal in 2003, while 18-year-old Miomir Kecmanovic became the youngest from Serbia to do so since Novak Djokovic in 2005. China’s Wu Yibing is the first teen titlist from his country, prevailing on home soil in Shanghai.

Title Leaders By Country
Players from 41 countries won titles this year, with Marcelo Arevalo becoming the first from El Salvador to lift a trophy. Serbia and the United States boasted a tour-leading 12 winners apiece, with nine different players from the U.S. emerging victorious. Meanwhile, Belarus completed a perfect 6-0 campaign in Challenger finals, with Egor Gerasimov winning three titles, Uladzimir Ignatik two and Ilya Ivashka one.

Outside Top 400 Winners (7)
The slipper fit for seven Cinderella stories, with a bevy of players ranked outside the Top 400 tasting success. At No. 615, Jason Kubler was the highest-ranked of the group, winning on home soil in Traralgon in his first Challenger event in more than two years due to injury.

ATP World Tour & ATP Challenger Tour Winners (6)
Six players lifted trophies on both the ATP World Tour and ATP Challenger Tour this year. Ryan Harrison became the first to win a Challenger title and then a tour-level crown in consecutive tournaments since David Goffin in 2014.

Match Points Saved In Finals (5)
Alexey Vatutin saved the most match points in an ATP Challenger Tour final this year, turning aside six in beating Guido Andreozzi 2-6, 7-6(10), 6-3 for the crown in Poznan, Poland.

Fast Facts

• The lone all-teen final came in Brest, France, with home hope Corentin Moutet (18) defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas (19) for his maiden Challenger title.
• Teenagers reached a total of 24 finals, winning 15 titles. Denis Shapovalov led all teens with three final appearances, hoisting trophies on home soil in Drummondville and Gatineau. 
• At 37 years, 5 months, Stephane Robert became the third-oldest winner in Challenger history with his title in Kobe, Japan. Fellow 37-year-old Victor Estrella Burgos became the fourth-oldest champion with his victory in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
• Yuichi Sugita became the only player to win ATP World Tour and ATP Challenger Tour titles on grass in a single season, prevailing in Surbiton, Great Britain and at the 250 event in Antalya.
• Six unseeded wild cards won titles: Jerzy Janowicz (Bergamo, ITA), Felix Auger-Aliassime (Lyon, FRA), Stefanos Tsitsipas (Genova, ITA), Wu Yibing (Shanghai, CHN), Lorenzo Sonego (Ortisei, ITA) and Corentin Moutet (Brest, FRA)
• Qualifiers won 10 titles, with Adrian Menendez-Maceiras and Roberto Quiroz contesting the first all-qualifier final since 2010. Uladzimir Ignatik was the lone lucky loser champ, in Rennes, France.
• Four players successfully defended titles: Adrian Mannarino (Noumea), Janko Tipsarevic (Qingdao, CHN), Paolo Lorenzi (Caltanissetta, ITA) and Malek Jaziri (Istanbul, TUR)
• There were a total of 33 first-time winners this year, with 16-year-old Auger-Aliassime the youngest and 28-year-old Pedro Sousa the oldest.
• Longest final: The longest final registered at two hours, 51 minutes, with Radu Albot beating Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(6), 6-7(3), 6-4 in Shenzhen, China.
• Shortest completed final: At 46 minutes, Lukas Lacko downed Laurynas Grigelis 6-1, 6-2 in Brescia, Italy, in the shortest final of the year.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com pays tribute to six players who retired in 2017. In part two of our two-part series, we will look back at the careers of five other players, including Radek Stepanek.

Juan Monaco (Retired: 15 May), career-high No. 10
Juan Monaco exhibited both great sportsmanship and charm, performing at his best on clay courts – where he captured eight of his nine titles – during a 14-season pro career. He rose to a career-high No. 10 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on 23 July 2012 and recorded 20 victories over Top 10 opponents, including over his good friend Rafael Nadal at the 2007 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Together, they won the 2015 Qatar ExxonMobil Open doubles title – one of three team crowns for the Argentinean, affectionately known as ‘Pico’. “[There is] pride to have faced so many challenges over many years,” said Monaco. “Thanks for what tennis gave me: education, discipline, friendship and unforgettable moments. [There is] sadness, because I will really miss the tennis courts [and] happiness to have had the chance to work in what I really loved since I was a kid. Knowing that dedication, sacrifice, tenacity and compromise have always been my engine, I leave with the satisfaction that I gave all I had and I want to let you know that I enjoyed until my last match.”

Albert Montanes (Retired: 27 April), career-high No. 22
Albert Montanes, the archetypical Spanish clay-courter who often completed lengthy tournament schedules each season, brought the curtain down at home at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, where he’d made his debut in 2001. At 36 years of age, he accumulated 212 victories on red dirt – including six ATP World Tour crowns – and a career-high of No. 22 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. “It’s a very special moment,” said Montanes. “I wanted to finish my career in a special way. It couldn’t have been anywhere else. You, the public, have been essential in my career. I feel really proud to have had a very long career.” A career-best week for Montanes came at Estoril in 2010, when he beat then World No. 1 Roger Federer in the semi-finals – at a time when Rafael Nadal was the only Spanish to haven beaten the Swiss on clay – prior to an emotional victory over Portuguese hope Fred Gil in the final. “I will always remember that win over Federer,” he said. “And then I was able to win the tournament, which made it even more special.”

Grega Zemlja (Retired: 12 August), career-high No. 43
Grega Zemlja fulfilled his dream to play tennis professionally, recording a number of firsts for Slovenia – the first in the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, and the first to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam championship – before calling it a career at the age of 30. In October 2012, he advanced to his lone ATP World Tour final, beating Tommy Haas and Janko Tipsarevic at the Erste Bank Open 500 prior to losing to Juan Martin del Potro. He won six ATP Challenger Tour titles and rose to a career-high No. 43 on 15 July 2013.

Somdev Devvarman (Retired: 2 January), career-high No. 62
Two days into the new year, the fighting spirit and passion for the sport flickered out for Somdev Devvarman, the smiling Indian, who at 31 years of age looked beyond the tramlines for a new career. The decision came 12 months on from his last ATP World Tour appearance in Chennai, where he reached the 2009 final (l. to Cilic). The sociology graduate from the University of Virginia, for whom he won back-to-back NCAA singles title in 2007 and 2008, rose to a career-high No. 62 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on 25 July 2011. That year he reached the Johannesburg final (l. to Anderson) but in 2012 he began to struggle to overcome a shoulder complaint, part of an injury-plagued career, which included five ATP Challenger Tour titles.

Giovanni Lapentti (Retired: 10 February), career-high No. 110
Giovanni Lapentti played close to 400 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour, winning 10 titles, but perhaps his finest achievement came just two weeks after 2000 Wimbledon. As a 17-year-old he fought back from a 0-2 sets deficit in the fifth and deciding rubber to beat Great Britain’s Arvind Parmar on No. 1 Court at the All England Club to record Ecuador’s first – and, to date, only – singles victory in the Davis Cup World Group. He’d also partnered his brother, Nicolas Lapentti, a day earlier to a straight-sets win in the doubles rubber. A year later, and yet to turn professional, the 6’4” Giovanni partnered Frank Dancevic to the 2001 Wimbledon junior doubles title.

Colin Fleming (Retired: 16 January), doubles career-high No. 17
Colin Fleming moved seamlessly from professional tennis to the position of National Coach for Tennis Scotland in January, after calling time on a 10-year professional career that included eight ATP World Tour titles from 19 finals. He reached a career-high No. 17 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings on 9 September 2013. Ross Hutchins, the Chief Player Officer for the ATP, who won three ATP World Tour doubles titles with Fleming, said, “I wish Colin all the success in his move away from playing professional tennis. He had many fantastic tennis achievements and performed extremely well on the biggest stages in our sport. I have no doubt at all that he is an outstanding fit in his new role and will help build something very strong in Scottish tennis.”

Return on Wednesday for Part Two: Stepanek, Mathieu, Becker, Chiudinelli and Fyrstenberg