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Who are the biggest Miami Open tennis fans? Rogue iguanas

Not even a change of venue could keep these reptilian enthusiasts away from the action, showing up in Crandon Park and the Hard Rock Stadium as recently as 2019.

ByDavid Kane

Published Mar 04, 2023

WATCH: Swiatek sealed the 2022 Miami Open title with no help from local iguanas.

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The steamy swamp weather of South Florida has long proven perfect for tennis—and also iguanas.

These stoic, slow-moving creatures are a staple of the region, and no Miami Open ticket price has proven too steep as the reptiles have regularly made their presence known at the height of the Sunshine Swing.

The most notorious example came in 2017, when the iguana affectionately known as Iggy ran roughshod through Crandon Park, interrupting a practice for Kristina Mladenovic…

...and later halting a match between Tommy Haas and Jiri Vesely:

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Iggy’s brush with fame even resulted in the launch of an official Twitter account.

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Though Iggy appeared to be in the tournament’s rearview mirror when 2019 brought the debut of a new venue, not even the larger Hard Rock Stadium could keep iguanas away from the action.

Might we witness another iguana invasion in 2023?