The Cincinnati Open wraps its 127th year at Mason's Lindner Family Tennis Center this weekend with a facility that looks nothing like it did two years ago.
A $260 million renovation doubled the campus from 20 to 40 acres, added 14 courts and expanded the singles draw from 56 to 96 players. The championship match begins Sunday, Aug. 23, at 2 p.m., with gates opening at noon.
"To double the acreage is huge. To do it in 11 months is ridiculous," Pete Holtermann, who has worked at the Cincinnati Open since 1995, told WCPO in August 2025 when the expansion debuted.
The upgrades go well beyond court count. A video tour published Friday, Aug. 21, by Shelly Abrams and ICRC-TV walks through the renovated grounds, starting at the Legacy Wall, which chronicles every champion since 1899. The tour highlights the Kroger Indoor Fan Zone, a new gathering space debuting in 2026 with staged programming, interactive demonstrations and games throughout the day.
The Commons, the tournament's main food-and-drink hub, now seats 1,400 under shade with 13 restaurant storefronts. Mason-based Greenwich Pita joined the lineup this year, serving Mediterranean cuisine alongside returning vendors. Tournament-goers spend an average of seven hours a day on site, according to tournament officials.
Other additions include six pickleball courts, fan lawns, a gaming room, a Tennis Channel broadcast studio and more than 40,000 new plants across the grounds. Behind the scenes, a dedicated player performance area gives athletes access to workout equipment, practice courts, recreation space and food between matches.
A tournament that almost left
The expansion nearly didn't happen in Mason. The Cincinnati Open almost relocated from Warren County in 2023 before money pledged by Mason, county and state officials funded the overhaul, WCPO reported.
Now the tournament is one of only five events worldwide hosting men's and women's top-tier (1000-level) draws simultaneously. Players voted it the best 1000-level tournament in 2025.
The local connection runs deep. Mason native Peyton Stearns, who attended the Cincinnati Open as a child, won the inaugural Red Bull BassLine all-women's exhibition on Aug. 8 in front of 2,000 fans at the venue. Stearns said afterward that competing in her hometown held special meaning.
Organizers expect more than 300,000 fans to pass through the gates during the 2026 tournament, which runs Aug. 8–23. Recent editions have drawn visitors from all 50 states and 65 countries.
The Rookwood Pottery trophies, handcrafted pieces connecting the tournament to another slice of Cincinnati heritage, await the winners on Champions Court on Sunday.
