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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — This year’s Miami Open is about 20 miles north of its previous home on Key Biscayne, but the tournament’s cultural epicenter is unmoved. It’s still somewhere thousands of miles to the south.
Because there is no tournament of its caliber in Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central and South America, the Miami Open has developed into the de facto Latin American Slam, drawing fans from the region and its diasporas, transforming this Florida fixture into a virtual homecoming for Latino players.
“It’s really nice to have the support,” said Leonardo Mayer, an Argentine.