Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, is currently hosting the 2026 Miami Open, which is a combined WTA/ATP Masters 1000 tournament. The first-round matches are underway, and the top stars, including Alexander Zverev and defending champion Jakub Menšík, will set foot on the court in the second round.
Before the high-action fortnight kicks off, these two stars had fun, enjoying other sports, mainly basketball and soccer, in Miami.
Alexander Zverev and Jakub Menšík Take in NBA and Soccer Games Before 2026 Miami Open
Zverev is the third seed at the tournament and has received a bye in his first-round match. He is set to face American wild card Martin Damm Jr. in the second round. Damm received a win via retirement over British star Jacob Fearnley after winning the first set 6-0.
Menšík is the defending champion and the 12th seed entering the tournament and, like the German, receives a first-round bye. He will set foot on the court on Saturday, March 21, and will either take on Argentine icon Sebastian Baez or Australian star Adam Walton in the second round.
However, right before things get heated on the courts at Hard Rock Stadium, the Czech sensation and the German are taking their time to explore the surroundings, enjoying other sports with very different rules from tennis.
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Zverev, with his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla, was seen courtside at the Kaseya Center in Miami, home of the Miami Heat. The local team faced the Los Angeles Lakers in a league match, with Slovenian star Luka Dončić scoring 60 points while American legend LeBron James recorded a triple-double, contributing to a 134-126 win for the Lakers.
Menšík, a big Lionel Messi admirer, took his time to visit Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to watch his idol play against Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The game was tied 1-1 in the second leg after a 0-0 draw in the first, with the Argentine legend scoring in the seventh minute for Inter Miami CF.
The world No. 13 shared an image of himself and one with his girlfriend, Josefina, from the stadium, jokingly writing, “Date idea: compete with Messi for attention (0/10 would not recommend) 😒.”
Menšík has openly shown his admiration for Messi after he met him last year during his Miami Open campaign. He joked about not washing his hands since meeting the Argentine legend, crediting him for his grueling three-set semifinal victory against Taylor Fritz.
He then went on to defeat fourth seed and 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion Novak Djokovic in the championship match to lift his first title at this level, making history.
How Zverev and Menšík Have Fared Heading Into the 2026 Miami Open
The world No. 4 began his campaign in Melbourne against Canadian Gabriel Diallo in the first round, defeated three seeded players consecutively: 26th seed Cameron Norrie, 18th seed Francisco Cerúndolo, and 25th seed Learner Tien, to reach his third consecutive semifinal at the venue.
However, his path crossed with world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who was not in the mood to slow down, and they both delivered a nearly five-and-a-half-hour classic to end the German’s campaign. He then faced a Round of 16 exit against unseeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanović in three sets in the Mexican Open.
Coming to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Zverev delivered another incredible campaign, losing to world No. 2 and eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.
Menšík has had more success this year, starting the 2026 season by lifting the ASB Classic title, defeating Baez in the final. He then reached the fourth round and was set to face the Serbian legend, but withdrew before his match due to an abdominal muscle injury.
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He then lost to Frenchman Arthur Fils in straight sets in the Doha semifinals and to Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the Dubai quarterfinals, with both opponents finishing as runners-up in their respective tournaments.
He then faced a third-round exit against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Indian Wells, losing the match in three sets. Both stars are expected to deliver a deep run at the tournament given their recent form and would like to end the hard-court swing with a title before the ATP Tour moves to the clay season.
