DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — The Delray Beach Open is back and bigger than ever.
They're celebrating their 30th anniversary and it's sure to serve a grand slam experience.
This year the Delray Beach Open is about more than just tennis.
"There's going to be different foods all over the place. There's going to be entertainment. There's going to be contests going around. Spectators can win some prizes," said Mark Baron, tournament director of the Delray Beach Open since its inception 30 years ago. "I'm really excited about it. It's not easy to go 30 years doing one event."
There will be new sponsors and new booths. Visitors can enjoy the matches from all over the space.
"It's a type of event where you don't have to be here every second because the city is so vibrant," said Baron.
Preparations were underway Thursday and some players were already practicing.
"It's nonstop every day leading up to the event," said Baron.
This year, for the first time, there will be returning champions on the court and the first-ever mixed doubles competition with locals, the Fernandez sisters and Bryan brothers.
After a smaller tournament last year with only 25% of the usual amount of spectators, Baron said he is expecting at least 50,000 people to be in attendance.
"The economic impact for Delray Beach is somewhere around $15-17 million," Baron said.
The 10-day tournament is set to begin Friday with the Champions Tour.
