I’m am back Delray Beach, and I really missed it here.
Last time you saw us, we were in Dallas. I loved Dallas. It was my first time, and there is something so underrated about an indoor tournament when you just want guaranteed tennis.
But Delray feels like home
.
This tournament is a smaller footprint, it is held at the Delray Beach Tennis Center in downtown Delray, and it’s an ATP 250, plus a Legends event layered in. It’s been a main stay on the tour for a while and almost feels like a well kept secret. But if we have anything to do with it, the secret is out of the bag. Come with is this week as we take you around the tournament and get you to add this to your “must visit list”.
This Week Delray nailed the scheduling
Here’s the fun phenomenon Delray sometimes pulls off. They can tell you, in advance, exactly who is holding down the night session.
It’s Monday. Day one of main draw. And the tournament had Frances Tiafoe scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on Stadium Court. So if you bought a night ticket, you actually knew what you were buying it for. No guessing game.
They’re able to do that because of how the byes and the schedule fall. This week, the tournament also had these primetime “under the lights” spots mapped out in advance:
* Mon, Feb 16: Frances Tiafoe at 8 p.m.
* Tue, Feb 17: Tommy Paul at 8 p.m.
* Wed, Feb 18: Casper Ruud at 8 p.m.
* Thu, Feb 19: Taylor Fritz at 8 p.m.
That is such a fan-friendly move, especially for a smaller event where a lot of people are coming after work and want one anchor match they can plan around.
My day on the grounds
I’ve been here for a full day now (I got in late last night), and I hit the ground running.
1) OFF SEASON: In Season (working title, please don’t hold me to it)
First thing I did was film with Ethan Quinn. I’m trying to keep the documentary thread going even during the regular season, which is tricky because match play is the priority. This is not a vlog. I’m chasing the behind-the-scenes work. The prep. The routines. The details that never make the broadcast but we all care about.
I got footage of Ethan practicing with Gabriel Diallo (who he’s also paired with in doubles). They played a tough one and went out in their first doubles match.
2) Eliot Spizzirri update
I also caught Eliot Spizzirri on site for an autograph session. I was hoping to grab him after, but he ended up withdrawing to rest up his elbow. Fingers crossed it’s a quick reset and nothing that lingers.
3) The kit story that made my entire day
I interviewed Terence Atmane, and I got the full backstory on the Dallas moment that had us all talking; where he played Frances Tiafoe while wearing a version of Frances’ Australian Open kit.
Terence’s explanation was even better than the visual. He saw the draw, thought “why not,” went to the store looking for the exact color, improvised when he couldn’t find it, then called his mom to figure out how to iron on a sponsor patch. The punchline is that Frances was laughing through the match, and then they kept the joke going afterward in the locker room.
Also, I love that Terence said the quiet part out loud. If you don’t have a sportswear sponsor locking you into a look, you can have fun with it. Tennis needs more of that energy.
4) The “Windy” in Delray
It was so windy today. The kind of wind that turns a normal rally into a geometry problem, the balls were going everywhere.
Still, we got some really good moments:
* Coleman Wong picked up a huge win over Nuno Borges.
The best part was what happened right after. The ball kids were so excited they rushed him for a photo, and I was standing right there, so I ended up being the photographer. That is exactly what I love about weeks like this. The ball kids are local. They’re tennis kids. They’re watching elite tennis up close and are making memories.
* Alex Michelsen got through Valentin Vacherot.
Michelsen is the hometown hero here, and you could feel the crowd energy tilt in his direction.
And honestly, that’s Day 1 in Delray. A small site, a packed day, real access, and the kind of moments you just don’t get the same way at the biggest events.
If you’ve got any questions about Delray, or why I love this tournament so much, drop them in the comments. I’m here all week.
