MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Rain couldn't keep fans away from the first day of the Miami Open.
When it comes to the annual tennis tournament, it brings out some of the biggest names in the sport, and leaves a lot of room for fans to pick and choose who they want to win it all.
WATCH BELOW: Rain steals the show at Day 1 of the Miami Open
"I think I’m most looking forward to any underdog, really,” said first-time open participant, Sabrina Brutal.
The field will include several underdogs and many big names, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Tournament officials announced Sunday that Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the tournament due to a right shoulder injury.
While the stars won't be in court for a few days, Sunday allowed fans to get acclimated to the event.
"It was the expectation I heard a lot of great things about the event and how it brings people together, and how it's lively. So, I just wanted to experience it myself," said tennis fan Felix Diaz.
While rain didn't allow much tennis to be played on day one, memories and exposure to the game were a big part of it.
"It's really exciting because I didn’t even know this event was here. I live five minutes down the street, and I didn’t know it was free to the public," said Toni Jean, a Miami Gardens resident.
Day one of the Miami Open is free to the public, allowing fans to learn the sport and see what the open has to offer, like Belyndria Marcelus and her friends.
"I was on TikTok and saw it was free and was like, let me pull up," said Marcelus.
Marcelus and friends live minutes away from Hard Rock Stadium, but didn’t even know the Open was going on.
"It's really exciting because I didn’t even know the event was actually here. I live five minutes down the street, and I didn’t even know they were playing tennis here. I thought they were here for the vibes and the good food," said Jean.
The vibes and the good food might have made the ladies come out, but the fun atmosphere has them ready to come back for more days.
"I got to see when I come back because I do want to see a tennis match," said Marcelus.
