Event: Delray Beach Open
Tour: ATP
Location: Delray Beach, Fla.
Venue: Delray Beach Tennis Center
Classification: 250 Series
The Delray Beach Open is a men’s only tennis tournament that features fun, fast-paced action right next to the shores of the Atlantic. Originally held in nearby Coral Springs between 1993 and 1998, the tournament was then known as the America’s Red Clay Tennis Championship. Todd Martin won the inaugural event over David Wheaton in two sets: 6–3 and 6–4. After 1998, the tournament moved to its current home at the hard courts of Delray Beach. Past winners have included Lleyton Hewitt in 1999, Tommy Haas in 2006, Kei Nishikori in 2008, Juan Martin del Potro in 2011 and Marin Cilic in 2014. The winner of the tournament is awarded 250 points in the ATP rankings. Grab your Delray Beach Open tickets at StubHub. .
The 2020 Delray Beach Open schedule is set for Feb. 14–23. The first three days of the tournament offer plenty of exciting events, including ATP Champions Tour legends matches featuring former players, a women’s exhibition match between WTA pro Coco Gauff and NCAA champion Estela Perez-Somarriba from the University of Miami and various qualifying sessions. The legends event features two evenly matched teams: Team Europe (with Tommy Haas, Marcos Baghdatis, David Ferrer and Mikael Pernfors) and Team World (with James Blake, Jesse Levine, Vince Spadea and Johan Kriek). The teams compete over six singles matches and two doubles matches. The first team to win five matches is the overall champion. Once the early events are over, the first round of the main draw begins on Monday, Feb. 17. Rounds continue every day over day and evening sessions. The tournament concludes on Sunday, Feb. 23, with the doubles and singles finals.
The Delray Beach Open features a 32-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw. Most of the singles draw is comprised of the best players from the ATP ranking at the time of the entry deadline. Players can choose whether to commit to the tournament or pass. However, some top players have chosen to compete in the tournament. The remaining draw is comprised of three wild card selections (granted at the tournament’s discretion), four qualifying players and various special exemptions (for players unable to make the qualifying rounds). The 16-player qualifying tournament is designed for players who are not ranked high enough to make it directly into the main draw. The four players to advance past two rounds will qualify for the main draw. The Delray Beach Open adheres to a standard single elimination bracket format. The first player to win two sets advances to the next round. When players are tied at 6–6 in a set, then there will be a tiebreaker.
In the 2019 Delray Beach Open, Radu Albot from Moldova beat Dan Evans from the UK in three sets, 3–6, 6–3 and 7–6. The match ended in an exciting 9–7 tiebreaker. In the doubles finals, top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan beat second seeds Ken and Neal Skupski in two sets: 7–6 (with a 7–5 tiebreaker) and 6–4.
The
Delray Beach Tennis Center
features 14 clay courts, six hard courts and an 8,200-seat stadium (though the tournament is played exclusively on the hard courts). The tennis grounds will also host various clinics, exhibition booths, live music, food courts, bars and other special events during the 10-day tournament. When it isn’t hosting the tournament, the tennis center is also the home of various tennis programs, leagues, clinics and camps.
If you are a fan of tennis, then you might want to check out the
Miami Open
, which is one of the more important tournaments on the tennis schedule. It is played at the
Hard Rock Stadium
in Miami.