From September 27 to 29, Lummus Park in Miami Beach was transformed into a beach volleyball hotspot for stars from around the world as part of the “Queen & King of the Court, Miami Beach 2024” tournament. Under the theme “USA vs. The Rest of the World,” local teams battled for three days against international players, with the goal of being crowned the Queens and Kings of Miami at the end of the event.
On the Queens’ side, well-established beach duos such as Kraft/Cannon competed, having previously secured podium finishes at the A1 Beach Pro Vienna and the Elite16 in Gstaad. Another exciting pairing was the experienced duo Ludwig/Ágatha. Although Laura Ludwig had announced her beachvolleyball-retirement at the German Championships in front of a home crowd, she couldn't resist the opportunity for a potential victory in Miami or the chance to team up with her temporary partner Ágatha. After Ludwig won Olympic gold in Rio 2016 against none other than Ágatha Bednarczuk and her then-partner Barbara Seixas, the switch from opponents to partners promised an intriguing dynamic.
The men’s field was equally competitive, featuring top teams like Meeuwsen/De Groot, Schalk/Lucena, and the Bello-Brothers. The newly crowned “Kings of the Court” from Utrecht, Dressler/Huerta, also couldn’t resist the opportunity to put pressure on their competitors and defend their title.
Additional excitement was guaranteed by the well-known “Queen & King of the Court” format, where each match consists of three rounds lasting 15 minutes each. Five teams play simultaneously on the Challenger side and the Queen/King side, with points only being earned on the latter. After each round, the team with the fewest points is eliminated, while the remaining teams continue to fight for advancement.
In the women’s Semifinal A, beach volleyball pros such as Barbara/Stochlová, Ludwig/Ágatha, and Hildreth/Loreen faced off. Although Ludwig/Ágatha were eliminated in the first round, Laura Ludwig secured the “Golden Server” of the tournament title with five service points. Ultimately, Hildreth/Loreen qualified directly for the final thanks to their solid performance across all three rounds.
Semifinal B, on the other hand, was the thrilling showdown, with Kraft/Cannon living up to their role as favorites, winning with a seven-point lead over Álvarez/Moreno to advance to the final. Through the play-offs and Semifinal C, the Spanish duo, along with Barbara/Stochlová and Whitmarsh/Newberry, also secured spots in the grand final.
The final started with a tightly contested first round, with four of the five teams nearly even. Hildreth/Loreen pulled ahead by two points for two consecutive rounds. However, the third round brought an unexpected twist, as Hildreth/Loreen struggled to find their rhythm, while Kraft/Cannon seized the opportunity and claimed the 'Queens of the Court' title with a final score of 15 points, much to the delight of the home crowd.
