In 2025 I took a little summer long weekend getaway to Cincinnati to attend the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament. As a tennis fan, this one had been on my bucket list for a while, and with newly renovated grounds for 2025, it was the perfect time to go and experience this world-class tennis event.
About the Cincinnati Open
Most people who aren’t die-hard tennis fans are often surprised to hear the fact that the longest-running U.S tennis tournament is in Cincinnati, first hosted in 1899, and that today it’s a Masters 1000 for both the ATP and WTA, and one of the most important stops in the leadup to the U.S. Open in the North American leg of the tours. There was talk in recent years about moving the event elsewhere, but much was invested to keep it in Cincinnati, including a total renovation of the tournament’s home at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, unveiled just in time for the 2025 Open. The upgrades included new official and practice courts, a new clubhouse, and other improvements to the fan experience. Additionally, the draws for both the men’s and women’s tournaments went from 56 to 96, and the tournament length increased from 9 to 14 days, in line with other 1000-level events. Having attended other tennis events, I can truly say I was impressed with the facilities and fan experience at the Cincy Open. Even more, I had the opportunity to talk to some locals while I was at the Open, and hear just how much it means to them to still have it there in Cincy – it’s a real source of pride for the city.
Getting There and Where to Stay
As mentioned, the Cincy Open is hosted not actually in Cincinnati, but in the suburb of Mason a half hour’s drive outside of downtown Cincy. It’s just off the I-71, with rollercoasters and rides from nearby Kings Island amusement park shaping the skyline just across the highway. There are hotels in the area, though demand throughout the tournament can drive up prices. I found it more affordable to stay halfway between the grounds and downtown Cincy, opting for the Best Western Plus Hannaford fifteen minutes down I-71. I had a rental car for the trip, and the tournament offers free parking for all ticketholders, and you can also buy an upgrade for closer VIP parking. Getting in and out of the free lots wasn’t bad, though I am usually one of the last fans to leave since I pretty much stay until the end of the very last match every night!
Attending the 2025 Cincinnati Open
As I usually do for tennis tournaments, I opted for a Stadium court ticket for the day session, then stayed on the grounds to enjoy tennis on the other general admission courts the rest of the day. I went on the Sunday and Monday of the middle weekend, meaning I got to see second and third round play and was guaranteed to see a good amount of my favorite players.
My Stadium court ticket got me into some pretty great matches. I got to see American favorites Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz, and Taylor Townsend; and Carlos Alcaraz, who would go on to win the men’s tournament as well as this year’s U.S. Open. The top match for me, though, was a three-hour thriller between Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu that ended in a dramatic third set tiebreak.
Most of the stadium seats for day session are in full direct sun, and the Cincinnati summer sun can be brutal. Despite multiple reapplications of sunscreen, I still ended up a little crispy, so be sure to pack a hat, plenty of sunscreen, and most of all hydrate!
The grounds are fairly compact and easy to navigate, so it’s feasible to hop around to different courts and catch a little bit of every match you want to see. I took in some action on the other courts after the conclusion of my day session ticket, seeing favorites like Daniil Medvedev on the brand new Champions Court and Alexander Zverev, Madison Keys, and Tommy Paul on Grandstand. I also watched Karen Khachanov on Champions court, and the court wasn’t very full so I was able to sit right down behind the players’ chairs and even get Khachanov to sign a tennis ball for me at the end of the match!
I also spent some time out on the Commons, a turf-covered open space with food concessions, a full bar, dining tables, Adirondack chairs, an entertainment stage, and big screen television. Not only was it a great space to grab dinner or a sweet treat like locally made Graeter’s ice cream, but the Adirondack chairs were a nice way to take a break from the stadium seats and still be able to watch tennis action on the big screen.
On my second day there, the tournament experienced a slight growing pain – a generator malfunctioned, causing a power outage that took out the entire tennis center’s automatic line-calling system and postponing all match play for a while. I was in the stadium in the middle of the Taylor Fritz match, and decided to spend the delay in the Top Deck Bar on the side of the stadium, a balcony bar overlooking the grounds and featuring local Sonder Brewing Company beers. I sipped a beer and luckily the system came back online within the hour and play resumed.
I can’t recommend the Cincinnati Open enough for anyone looking to experience world-class tennis. As a first time visitor I can’t say what it was like before, but the work that they put into upgrading the grounds and tournament format seem to have paid off and I had a great experience there from the match play to all of the food and amenities.
Read more about what to see and do in Cincinnati:
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