The Cincinnati Open will again bring some of tennis’ biggest names to Southwest Ohio this year.
Qualifying matches begin Tuesday and Wednesday, with the first draw ceremony on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. Draw matches will start Thursday.
Last year, following a $260 million expansion that doubled the size of the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, the event brought 285,000 fans from all 50 states and 65 countries, according to tournament officials.
And the work paid off, said Cincinnati Open Director Bob Moran. The event was named the 1000-level Women’s Tennis Association and Association of Tennis Professionals “Tournament of the Year” by players.
Moran said 2025 was all about the player experience, but this year, upgrades are geared toward tournament attendees — including a new indoor, air-conditioned center for fans to watch matches.
“We heard loud and clear it was hot. It was the hottest Cincinnati Open last year,” Moran said. “So, we wanted to make sure we provided an answer for that. And we did.”
This year, 96 singles players and 32 doubles teams will grace the tournament’s 31 courts for two weeks. The Cincinnati Open, which was established in 1899, expanded its size and duration last year.
Big names slated to compete in this year’s 324 matches include Venus and Serena Williams, who will compete in doubles. The two sisters last competed together in the U.S. Open in 2022.
“They transcend the game like nobody else. To have them here, and wanting to be here with us, is pretty special,” Moran said, adding that the announcement of their entry has driven up ticket sales for the event.
Also competing is the world No. 1 women’s player, Aryna Sabalenka, as well as Iga Swiatek, Alexander Zverev, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys and Novak Djokovic: all former tournament winners who may have the chance to take the Rookwood Cup again.
The world No. 1 men’s player, Jannik Sinner, dropped out of the tournament Sunday citing issues with his right knee.
And due to a wrist injury, 2025-winner Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cincinnati Open last week.
“We just want to see Carlos get healthy,” Moran said. “So, we'll see what happens over the next few weeks for [the] U.S. Open and beyond, but unfortunately not here.”
This year, Moran said the tournament will feature mixed doubles in the second week.
“Players who lose in the first couple rounds — they can put their name in, and I'm going to do a random draw of eight teams to do a mixed doubles event on the indoor courts,” Moran said.
One player making his Cincinnati Open debut is Vignesh Gogineni, who grew up in Mason and has attended the tournament since he was a child.
“There's a lot of nerves and everything since this is my ATP debut, but I've done a lot of mental prep, a lot of mental work this week,” the Yale Tennis graduate said.
Gogineni said the campus holds a lot of memories for him, such as winning state on Court 3 during his senior year of high school.
“Finally getting the job done on my last ever match as a Mason Comet in this stadium in front of my friends and family was amazing,” Gogineni said.
The Cincinnati Open’s semifinal and final matches will take place Aug. 22-23.
Moran said the tournament is a great boost for the local economy.
“We really want people when they're coming to Cincinnati to experience Cincinnati, experience Mason, experience Warren County,” Moran said.
To make the event happen, a team of 1,600 volunteers and some local businesses work behind the scenes before, during and after the tournament.
One such person is Chris LaMond, who said his company has done landscaping for the Cincinnati Open for 17 years. LaMond said the tournament, which accounts for about 50% of his work, has helped him grow his business.
“I'm born and raised in Cincinnati, and to be a part of an event that has been here for so long and impacts so many people and brings so many people to the Tri-State — it's pretty neat to be such a major player in what we do here,” LaMond said.
LaMond said his team of four men plants around 50,000 annuals every year and handles the tournament’s planters and rooftop garden.
“I tell people that I watch tennis but I prefer to landscape it,” LaMond said.
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