Serena Williams has written an op-ed in *The New York Times* calling for the Miami tournament to be allowed to make planned improvements to the grounds.
Organizers have plans for a $50 million revamp of the facility, which is on public land. Though local residents voted in favor of the measure, a local organizer whose family originally donated the land has taken legal action to stop construction. If the plans are blocked, the tournament’s legal representative has suggested that the event is likely to leave Miami for another location.
The tournament is owned by IMG, the agency that represents Williams.
Williams, who spent most of her youth in Florida, wrote of attending the tournament as a child.
"Miami is where I had the chance to watch some of the greats compete," she wrote, also recalling one occasion where she played sister Venus in the final. "It was an incredible day for our family."
The combined 12-day tournament is known for giving wild cards to IMG-represented players, including Andy Roddick, James Blake and Venus.
"Before 1985, the only combined men’s and women’s events were the four Grand Slams,” she wrote. “In its inaugural year, the Miami Open broke that convention and featured both men and women. Perhaps even more significant, the Miami Open paid equal prize money to men and women during the first staging of the event in 1985."
Once seen as the biggest tournament behind the four Grand Slams, Miami has recently seen Indian Wells increasingly make that claim. The tournament in the California desert has increased prize money and made site improvements regularly since being bought by Larry Ellison.
Williams, who returned to the Indian Wells courts two years ago following a 14-year boycott, intimated that Miami is her hometown tournament.
"Leaving Miami would be a blow to our sport, to the city of Miami and to me," she wrote. "The tournament has, in many ways, set the standard for tennis events around the world in a unique time and place, and I hope we can all work together to improve this home court."
Williams is the top seed and defending champion at the tournament.