For most players, the off-season began soon after the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin earlier in November. For others — those representing Spain and Italy at the 2025 Davis Cup — the year stretched a little longer, concluding only when Italy lifted the trophy a few weeks ago. And while the tennis calendar still has one final stop in Saudi Arabia for the Next Gen ATP Finals, most of the tour has already slipped into holiday mode, enjoying the sun, the beach, or simply the comfort of time spent with loved ones.
Yet entertainment rarely pauses for professional tennis. Yesterday, the Miami Invitational gathered four elite names in Florida for a final showcase before the New Year. Local favourites Amanda Anisimova [No.4] and Jessica Pegula [No. 6] took to the court alongside a matchup the tennis world has long been waiting for: Carlos Alcaraz and young Brazilian promise, João Fonseca. Here’s our rundown on the invitational and our analysis of Miami’s linkup with sports.
More than 14,000 fans – according to the Sports Business Journal – filled LoanDepot Park on Monday evening. Home to the Miami Marlins, the stadium’s vast baseball size was reshaped into an intimate tennis arena that offered Miami a one-night exhibition featuring the world No. 1. Yet this wasn’t the first taste of exhibition tennis on U.S. soil this week: only a day earlier, Alcaraz had stumbled against Frances Tiafoe (3–6, 6–3, 7–10) in New Jersey, while Amanda Anisimova fell to Jessica Pegula (6–3, 6–7, 8–10).
The Miami evening opened with Anisimova facing Pegula — a player who held a 3–0 head-to-head edge over her. Yet Anisimova arrived with the weight of an extraordinary season behind her – probably her best – having reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals and claimed two WTA 1000 titles. Pegula, meanwhile, had put together a strong season of her own, winning three singles titles and reaching both the US Open semi-finals and the Miami Open final.
Yet it was Anisimova’s night. She came out guns blazing in the first set; held her ground and closed out the match in the second, despite a late push from Pegula that hinted at a possible tie-break. After their first official encounter in 2020, Anisimova could finally say she had beaten Pegula: another cherry on top of what is shaping into her finest season yet.
Next up was the mixed doubles — a brief 10-point tie-break format revived by the US Open earlier in the year to draw bigger crowds and attract top singles players into the mix. Alcaraz partnered with Pegula, while Fonseca teamed up with Anisimova, serving up a lively moment of tennis that saw Pegula and Alcaraz win (10-8) and repeat their performance in New Jersey against Tiafoe and Anisimova.
But all eyes were on the Alcaraz–Fonseca showdown. After his loss to Tiafoe the previous day, fans expected a sharper response from the Spaniard, even if the mood remained relaxed. Alcaraz edged the first set 7–5 after breaking at 5–5, sealing a marathon deuce with Fonseca refusing to let it go. The second set swung the other way entirely, Fonseca taking control early and sweeping it 6–2 as Alcaraz faded. And the tie-break set the crowd alight: Alcaraz fell behind 0–5 to a superb Fonseca. But something clicked in the Spaniard, and the world No. 1 surged through point by point until he completed yet another remarkable comeback. Chapeau to Alcaraz — and to a fearless Fonseca who pushed him all the way.
Miami is well used to hosting sports events. Earlier in the year, in March, it staged the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium, where Jakub Menšík was crowned champion over Novak Djokovic, and Aryna Sabalenka defeated Jessica Pegula. The city is not only home to one of the most popular Masters of the season among players, but also a base for several of America’s top talents: from Coco Gauff’s residence in Delray Beach, Jessica Pegula’s in Boca Raton, to Amanda Anisimova’s and Taylor Fritz, both moving to the city. It has since firmly positioned itself as an attractive and fast-growing tennis hub.
The city’s lavish lifestyle and strategic setting are assets, especially when tennis royalty is vacationing in the Caribbean. This year, we saw Alcaraz during his off-season resting in Turks and Caicos, where he played casual tennis with content creators – only a two-hour flight away from Miami. In fact, at the end of November, he was already in the city, crossing over to partake in football. The occasion? To hand the MLS Eastern Conference trophy to Lionel Messi, captain of Inter Miami. It’s worth remarking that these moments are not coincidental, but rather a sign that Miami is becoming the U.S. hub for international sports, athletes and sports organisations – something worth keeping an eye out for.
