Tennis fans get taste of Cincinnati Open’s future as tournament begins

All 12,000 seats around the Center Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason have been replaced with fold down chairs. The lowest level of seats are padded, and those closest to the court are air conditioned.

This year’s tourney is the first since last fall’s announcement of a 25-year commitment to stay in Mason, the event’s home since 1979.

“Last year, I think we came into that tournament saying, you know, we just want to produce the best event we can and let the cards play out,” Tournament Director Bob Moran said.

“The crowd turned out, everything was spectacular last year,” Moran added. “We’re just trying to continue to grow that and continue that momentum.”

Four new practice courts have been added, allowing attendees increased exposure to the more than 200 players expected to take part in the tourney that organizers say is just one notch below the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open., the sport’s four grand slam events.

The tournament will include the top female and male players in the world, with 56 matches in each singles field, officials said.

The event will feature 68 musical performances along with 13 food vendors and a rebranded gift store stocked with a variety of shirts, hats and other memorabilia.

The “majority” of the changes this year are geared toward the fans, said Pete Holtermann, the event’s media director.

“This year with the new seats, some of the changes out here in the fan zone or these new practice courts, it’s a lot fan-(oriented) this year.”

Last year’s decision to keep the event in Ohio was welcome news across the state. The tourney is a key reason why Warren County tourism accounted for $1.7 billion in economic impact last year, a record for the county, a recent study found.

Cincinnati Open organizers said the tournament annually draws nearly 200,000 people from 39 countries. This year’s first 10 sessions are sold out, as are multi-day ticket packages, officials said.

“I think fans are just going to see everything that we do from a production perspective, on court and off court,” Moran said. “We have world-class tennis. We know that we have the best players in the world here. But what we’re really focused on is everything that happens outside the lines.”

Ticket sales, Holtermann said, “have been really strong … So, we’re real excited about the enthusiasm we’re seeing in the community about the tournament this year.

“For a lot of fans, it’s an opportunity to come and move around on the grounds and see so many different things that are really appealing to them,” Holterman said.

Last year’s men’s tournament ended with a thrilling showdown between the top stars in the world, as Novak Djokovic narrowly defeated Carlos Alcaraz for the crown. The event has a storied winners list that includes most of the best players of the past 50 years — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and others.

On the women’s side, rising young American Coco Gauff won the tournament last year, joining a list that includes stars such as Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport.

IF YOU GO

What: The Cincinnati Open

When: Aug. 11-19

Where: Lindner Family Tennis Center, 5460 Courseview Drive, Mason

Tickets: Available at https://cincinnatiopen.com/tickets