The Delray Beach Open is in the books, and before we move on to the next stop, let’s take a moment to look back at what makes this tournament special and the standout stories from the week.
A Small but Mighty Tournament 🌴
If you’re looking for an easygoing, intimate tournament experience, Delray Beach delivers. The venue is small, making it easy to navigate, with reasonable ticket prices and plenty of ways to get close to the action. The food options were solid too—I stuck to Guac-To-Go and Oakberry all week, and I have no regrets.
One of the unique aspects of Delray is that many top American players call this area home, and you can feel that local connection. The tournament starts out with a mix of veterans, young Americans, and international players, but the back end of the event is where the seeds come in and things get serious.
The Stories of the Tournament 📖
For me, the biggest story was Evan King & Chris Harrison making a deep doubles run after winning the biggest title of their careers in Dallas just a week before. It’s always special to see a team carry momentum from one tournament to the next, and they proved that their Dallas win was no fluke.
It was also a week of comebacks.
💪 Michael Mmoh continued his return after a long injury layoff, showing signs that he’s finding his rhythm again.
💪 Mackenzie McDonald snapped a brutal losing streak that had stretched since July of last year, finally getting back in the win column.
💪 Brandon Nakashima reminded everyone of the level he can bring when healthy and confident, putting together a strong run.
The Start of Something New 📝
This week was also the start of Ground Pass On-Site here on Substack. When I launched this, I wasn’t sure what shape it would take, but it’s been fun figuring that out along the way. Getting to share daily updates straight from the grounds has been a great experience, and I’m excited to keep this going at more tournaments.
What’s Next? 🎾
As we continue into the Spring American Swing, we’ll be visiting more tournaments along the way. But where exactly? You’ll have to come back to find out. Expect behind-the-scenes coverage, match stories, player interviews, and everything else that makes experiencing a tournament in person so special.
Thanks for following along this week—see you at the next stop!
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