Miami Open Weekend with LACOSTE

Did you all enjoy the long weekend? I certainly did, having the fortune of flying South for a few days to experience the Miami Open presented by Itau with LACOSTE. This year, LACOSTE partnered with the Miami Open as the official, exclusive tennis and casual apparel and footwear outfitter of the tournament. It was a very exciting move for the brand, which hosted two retail spaces on-site, as well as the creation of a co-branded collection that was sold on-site and in LACOSTE boutiques throughout the US. LACOSTE also had a presence on the court with banners and linesmen boxes. Prior to this past weekend, I had never been to a professional tennis match and there was no better way to change that than with LACOSTE at the Miami Open men’s final.

Leading up to the main event, we started out with a tennis clinic at Turnberry Isle Resort on Saturday morning. Coached by tennis pro Murphy Jensen, the clinic included a round of drills and technical lessons that had us media folks working up a sweat. It was so amazing to learn from Murphy’s insight and expertise in the game, coupled with his incredible energy and enthusiasm.

Post-tennis practice with Murphy Jensen:

During the tennis clinic, we got to try out LACOSTE’s new limited edition LT12 racquet. Combining wood and graphite for the first time, the LT12 reinvents the traditional tennis racket.

Later that afternoon, we popped over to the Mondrian South Beach. Needless to say, the pool deck, bar and lounge was picture perfect:

Time stood still for as we took in a breathtaking sunset over the intracoastal:

With Justine:

For dinner, we had the treat of dining in the private library at the Soho Beach House. The views down the beach from the 8th floor were spectacular!

On Sunday, it was time for the big, men’s final match at the Miami Open. Andy Murray vs. Novak Djokovic. It was a full house at the stadium, as tennis fans from all over the world came together to witness the final.

Lacoste’s pop-up shop was centrally located within the grounds, housing the limited edition Miami Open collaborative collection, as well as the latest spring pieces from the Lacoste Sport collection:

The court! Andy Murray in white, Djokovic in blue. I was fortunate to enjoy the 3 1/2 hour long match from the comforts of the Lacoste VIP suite. In the suite, I got to meet Beryl Lacoste, granddaughter of René Lacoste. She was so lovely and shared some amazing anecdotes about the Lacoste brand history and the evolution of the tennis racquet.

In the Lacoste VIP suite with Nicolas Raybaud, CEO of Lacoste Canada:

“Twinning” in white polos with my friend, Barret, who came in from New York for the Open:

Following the open, Justine and I stayed a couple extra days to soak in the Miami Beach sun:

We got to go out on a yacht on Monday, sailing up the intracoastal and stopping in Hollywood Beach during the afternoon:

Ahoy!

On Tuesday, it was time to fly home. A quick trip, but certainly one for the books (or blog, rather). I almost forgot how great Miami is, but after this weekend, I will hopefully be back soon. Experiencing the Miami Open with LACOSTE was an amazing experience too, in itself. It’s not everyday that you get to watch the number one tennis player in the world (Djokovic) win on the court at an ATP World Tour tournament.

Until next time…