Djokovic a No-Show at Miami Open as Collins Unexpectedly Wins the Women's Title

Does Novak Djokovic have something against Miami?

The number one player in the world, increasingly the indisputable GOAT in men's tennis and six-time Miami Open champ, hasn't played in the Miami Open since 2019. So, when it was confirmed that Djokovic would play this year and then pulled out at the last minute to balance his "private and professional schedule," it felt like a total burn.

Granted, he's 36 years old now — borderline ancient in professional tennis. He was also on the heels of an embarrassing loss at the BNP Paribas Open and subsequently split with his coach, so he has some legit excuses. But to quote the great Chris Berman — c'mon man! By this point, consider Djokovic's continued absence in Miami a total bummer at a minimum and, at most, something very suspicious and perhaps something bigger going on that we may never truly know about.

While the GOAT was gone, the show went on at the 2024 Miami Open — and what a show it was.

Djokovic's absence blew the door wide open for tennis' next generation to dazzle. Crowd favorite and world number two, Spanish phenom Carlos Alcaraz, made it to the quarterfinals but was bounced by 32-year-old Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who was having the tournament of his life, with an absolutely throbbing backhand that couldn't be stopped. Dimitrov lost on Sunday in the final 6-3, 6-1 to Italian sensation Jannik Sinner, who won his first major, the Australian Open, earlier this year.

On the women's side, Delray Beach native Coco Gauff was the fan-fave entering the tournament and riding momentum since winning her first major, the U.S. Open, last year. She was shockingly bounced in the round of 16, but another American ultimately reigned supreme.

Unseeded Danielle Collins took down world number four Elena Rybakina on Saturday 7-5, 6-3 to capture the biggest win of her career. En route to becoming the first American woman to win the Miami Open since Sloane Stephens in 2018, she took down five top-30 players. Post-win, she told reporters, "What a dream come true to have played at the level that I have played consistently over the last two weeks. This has been such a journey for me. Thirty years old, you know, this was the finals of my first [WTA 100 Series tournament], and it's been a different journey than I think a lot of the stories that we're familiar with."

Beyond the on-court headlines, Jimmy Butler, Neymar, Mischa Barton, and David Beckham were among the big names spotted throughout the week. Food-wise, the Instagrammable and loaded sushi boxes from Omakai, nearly larger-than-the-plate slices of pizza from Editor, and concoctions at the No.3 Gin Lounge were all the buzz. New this year, there was even wheelchair tennis and pickleball to enjoy. Seeing several forms of racquet sports beautifully mesh and audibly hearing staunch tennis enthusiasts embracing pickleball was heartening.

With Miami Open 2024 officially in the rearview, Hard Rock Stadium will now morph into a racecourse in time for the Miami Grand Prix May 3-5. Come 2025, count on the Miami Open to deliver a world-class experience and some of the best tennis on Earth. Perhaps next year, the world's number one men's tennis player will finally make his comeback to the event.