MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - The Miami Open tournament is serving up safety with adjustments for the new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic by giving fans new rules to be aware of as the tournament starts at the Hard Rock Stadium on Monday.
There’s a whole new set of rules for fans attending the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
First, there will be no center court inside the stadium as in 2019.
“Unfortunately, we can’t really have fans get there because they’ll be too close, and it’ll be too close in contact to the players,” said Miami Open tournament director James Blake. “We’re doing everything we can to keep the players safe.”
There’s also no general admission. All seats are reserved to maintain social distancing.
Blake shared what fans need to know about COVID safety and health protocols at the stadium.
“For fans, we’re gonna have people going around and making sure people are wearing their masks. We have food trucks; you can go eat there. There’s tables that are socially distant there. Otherwise, when you’re not eating, we want the masks up. We got plenty of hand-sanitizing stations as well to make sure to keep people clean and hygienic,” he said.
Over the two-week event, fan attendance will be capped at 800 to 1,000 per session.
For players, they’re used to much bigger crowds daily at the Rock.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be super weird,” said 2018 Miami Open champion Sloane Stephens. “I mean, obviously, we’re all adjusting to having some tournaments with no fans at all, some having a little bit, like it’s very– it’s an adjustment period, and I think it’s gonna take some getting used to, really.”
“The seats that you have, you have to be in those seats. You can’t be like general admissions or Crowns Passes where you just roam and be everywhere, you can’t do that,” Blake said.
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