Cincinnati Open impresses fans, players with first phase of renovations

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Open, previously know as the Western and Southern Open, is not only celebrating its 125th anniversary but also keeping this event in Cincinnati, after organizers were pushing to move it to Charlotte.

Renovations are underway to make sure it stays here in Ohio. 

What You Need To Know

• The Cincinnati Open is celebrating staying in Cincinnati for the next 25 years
• As part of the deal to stay in southern Ohio, major renovations were done at the Lindner Family Tennis Center this year with more to come next year
• So far, improved seating, additional practice courts, a bigger and better fan zone and more are part of the improvements for this year's tournament 
• Next year, 10 new courts and new player accommodations will be added in order to expand the tournament to 96 players on both the men's and women's sides

Nearly all the renovations completed for this year’s tournament were with the fans in mind. That includes all new seats inside center court, more practice courts and more.

“This is part of what’s new on campus this year,” Pete Holterman, the media director of the tournament, said.

Walking around the Lindner Family Tennis Center, you’ll be hearing that a lot.

“It’s very different,” Bob Moran, the tournament’s director, said. “We’re excited for people to come out and see all the changes.”

Although only a portion of the renovations have been done, they consist of changes that will catch fans’ attention immediately, such as the addition of more practice courts.

Fans get an up-close view of players on the new practice courts (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

“17 courts last year to 21 this year,” Holtermann said. “Now you use your imagination in 2025 we’re going to grow to have 31 courts.”

“I’ve seen the extra practice scores make a huge difference,” Coco Gauff, the reigning Cincinnati Open champion, said. “I know, luckily like the last couple of years, I’ve been ranked higher. So I’ve been able to practice on site mainly. But I know that’s not the case for a lot of the players.”

As well as an upgraded merch tent and new and improved seating.

“Every seat now has a back, every seat has a cupholder, has an armrest, just a much more comfortable, elevated experience for all of our fans,” Holtermann said.

New seats inside center court include a seat back and cup holder for every seat (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

The attention to detail is evident, as even some seats are equipped with built-in air conditioning.

“Fans tend to spend six to eight hours on site, so we’re not just giving them a great in-stadium experience, it’s the whole venue and we’re trying to give them that food, the drink, the entertainment all around the grounds,” Holtermann said.

Carlos Alcaraz takes pictures with fans at the Cincinnati Open (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

Fans say they’re enjoying the new amenities and opportunities to meet and interact with players.

“I’ve seen a lot of players,” Oscar Brautnick, a Michigan native, said. “Gauff, Alcaraz, a lot. It’s great because you can interact with them and you can see really how good they are. It’s really nice.”

Fans take a picture with a player on the practice courts (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

“It’s pretty cool,” Jacob Brafman, a Cincinnati native, said. “It’s kind of cool to see them face to face. I mean, they’re humans too. So it’s interesting to see them interact with people and it’s really fun.”

For Moran, keeping the Cincinnati Open in southwest Ohio is a win for the entire state.

“That’s the ultimate goal for the win for Ohio,” Moran said. “As we expanded 2025, everything doubles for us from a participant standpoint.”

And following the Olympics, with a staggering 116 participants and 20 medalists this weekend, Ohio is poised to make its mark.

“Having the Olympics mixed in with everything else is, is difficult, but we’re really seeing the players here and we’re seeing the players showing up,” Moran said. “So we’re excited that we’re part of that conversation.”

But this is just the beginning- more renovations are coming for next year’s tournament.

“I’m really excited about that,” Gauff said. “I really think, with the way tennis is going, I think it will be huge. Tt’ll be a huge event is already a big event, but even bigger. I know players enjoy playing this tournament. So it’s nice to see that they’re doing their best to make it better for players and fans. “

“We’re pretty much done with everything that we focused on for 2024,” Moran said. “So as soon as this year’s over. Yeah. Then we start tearing everything down and prepping for 2025.”

As soon as tournament play is over, this place will become a construction zone once again, with more improvements coming for the players, since the tournament will expand to 96 players on both the men’s and women’s sides.