Shaded Seats at Miami Open (Tennis)

The Miami Open is half of the prestigious Sunshine Double held every spring. The main court, appropriately called Stadium Court, is specially assembled for tennis inside the Hard Rock Stadium. South Florida is known for year-round heat and humidity and it gets quite toasty even in March! Tennis enthusiasts should use this guide along with the stadium seating chart to locate the best shaded seats at Miami Open.

Where are the seats in the shade and sun at Hard Rock Stadium during the Miami Open?

As a general rule, the seats in the shade at the Miami Open Stadium Court:

• Sideline, South Side: Shaded in the permanent stadium seats

And the seats in the sun at Stadium Court are located:

• Sideline, North Side: Sunny in the temporary tennis stands
• Baselines: Sun soaked early in the afternoon

Matches at the Miami Open begin daily at 11:00 AM at the outer courts, and usually around noon at Stadium Court. The sun doesn’t set in South Florida until approximately 7:00 PM at this time of year. By late afternoon and for evening sessions all seats will be shaded but tennis fans attending day sessions early in the day will experience some Florida sun.

Hard Rock Stadium undergoes significant modifications to create Stadium Court for the Miami Open. A temporary hard court is built on the south side of the football field. Furthermore, the stadium’s seating is reconfigured to include temporary stands erected in the center of the field. This transformation creates a smaller “stadium in a stadium” for tennis. While the biggest stars will likely be scheduled on Stadium Court, we also have a dedicated article about shade availability at the Grandstand Court.

Hard Rock Stadium Tennis Orientation to the Sun

Hard Rock Stadium is oriented in a northwest to southeast direction. By noon the sun is high in the sky near the southeast end of the stadium. Over the course of the afternoon the sun dips behind the south side of the stadium and eventually sets closer to the northwest corner.

The graphic below shows the approximate location of the sun throughout the day on March 20th.

Click or tap to see a seating chart for the next session at Stadium Court

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Early Afternoon Miami Open Stadium Court Matches

It’s important to note that in its standard configuration, Hard Rock Stadium’s south side (home side) is shaded, while the north side (away team side) is sunnier. During the Miami Open, the main tennis court is set up on the south side of the field, using the permanent stadium seats on this side, while the north side’s permanent seats are not used.

Permanent seats on the south sideline, including sections 144-148, the club seats in between, and sections 241-251 and 341-351 become fully shaded around 1:00 PM and remain shaded for nearly the entire day thanks to the roof. One legitimate complaint that tennis fans have is that Hard Rock Stadium is not a dedicated tennis venue and seats on this side of the court, especially in the 300-level, are quite far from the action.

Seats behind the baselines will start the day in the sun but will become shaded over the afternoon, with shade moving from south to north. This means section A will be shaded first, followed by sections B, C, and so on.

The north sideline seats, including lettered sections E-M and numbered sections 105-112, will remain sunny for the longest. These sections, built in the middle of the football field, will be in the sun until at least mid-afternoon, when the sun begins to dip behind the stadium. Seats in the upper-level on this side will be in the direct path of the sun as late as 5:00 PM.

By mid-afternoon, seats on the south side of the stadium (right) are in the shade, while temporary stands on the football field (left) are still in the sun.
Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Late Afternoon Miami Open Stadium Court Matches

For shade seekers, the good news is that most seats will be shaded by early evening, as the main tennis court is set up on the south side of the stadium and the days in March are still relatively short. For those preferring sun, sections 105-112 will remain sunny the longest.

Ready to get your Miami Open tickets?

Use the individual session links or click or tap here to see the upcoming sessions at this year’s Miami Open.