Get ready for the Cincinnati Open! Everything to know about the 2024 tennis tournament

Posted by Admin August 8, 2024 Tennis

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The 2024 Cincinnati Open, the world’s longest-tenured tennis tournament, is this weekend.

The Cincinnati Open, formerly the Western & Southern Open, takes place Aug. 11-19 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason. The first qualifying round begins at 11 a.m. Sunday. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. This year’s event is expected to feature several superstar players, such as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Where is the Cincinnati Open?

The Cincinnati Open, which hosts both ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments in the same week, is an annual hardcourt tennis event at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

This year’s tournament runs from Aug. 11-19.

Who’s playing in the Cincinnati Open?

The 2024 Cincinnati Open’s initial entrants included all male and female players in the Top 40 world rankings, led by WTA No. 1 Iga Swiatek and ATP No. 1 Jannik Skinner. Seven past tournament champions, including 2023 winner Coco Gauff, will also headline this year’s event.

However, reigning men’s champion, Novak Djokovic, has withdrawn, the tournament announced Thursday, Aug. 8.

Other past champions on the entry list include Victoria Azarenka (2013, 2020), Grigor Dimitrov (2017), Caroline Garcia (2022), Madison Keys (2019) and Alexander Zverez (2021). Other competitors include this year’s Grand Slam tournament champion and Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka, French Open champion and Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz and Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova.

The field is not finalized, but full preliminary entry lists for the 2024 Cincinnati Open can be found here.

What’s the history of the Cincinnati Open?

The tournament debuted in 1899 as the Cincinnati Open and was played on clay courts at the Avondale Athletic Club on property that now belongs to Xavier University. Nat Emerson, a local who became a top 10 tennis player in the U.S. in 1908, won the first iteration of the tournament.

The event changed names and locations several times in its history, including the Tri-State Tennis Tournament in 1901, a name it would keep until 1969.

It switched to hardcourts by 1979 when the tournament moved to Mason where it remains to this day. The Western & Southern Financial Group began sponsoring it in 2002, and the name changed from the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women’s Open to the Western & Southern Open in 2011.

South Carolina billionaire Ben Navarro’s Beemok Capital group purchased the tournament in August 2022 from the United States Tennis Association. The group announced in October 2023 that the tournament would remain at the Lindner Family Tennis Center for the next 25 years.

In January, Beemok Capital announced that the tennis tournament’s original name – the Cincinnati Open – would be restored. In 2025, the Cincinnati Open will expand to two weeks of competition for both men and women.

How to get tickets

There are several different ticket options for the W&S Open. You can choose a session and seat at Center Court, with tickets ranging from a single session to a full series package. Multiday ticket packages are sold out, per the event’s website.

There are also premium ticket options available, including:

Grandstand Suites: Prices vary daily but start at $125 for Aug. 11.
Fifth Third Advantage Club: Prices vary daily but start at $175 for Aug. 11-12.
1899 Club: Prices vary by day and session but start at $175 for Aug. 12.
Grandview Club: Prices vary by day and session, but verified resale tickets start at $50 for Aug. 12.
The Oasis: Sold-out.
Overlook Boxes: Prices vary by day and session, but verified resale tickets start at $50 for Aug. 12.
Luxury Suites: Including the Grandstand Suites, Crosscourt Suites, Grandview Suites and Baseline Suites. Contact the tournament for pricing options.

Parking at the Cincinnati Open

Free parking is included with every ticket. The tournament’s website promises “many highway and street signs” once you’re close to the center, leading drivers to the appropriate parking lot. Parking attendants will also be on-site to direct visitors to the appropriate lot upon arrival.

The Linder Family Tennis Center is located at 5460 Courseview Drive in Mason.

Food at the Cincinnati Open

The tournament has a plethora of dining options for attendees to enjoy, from Alfio’s Buon Cibo to Skyline Chili. Visit cincinnatiopen.com/experience/dining for a closer look at all the offerings.