Junior tennis players from across the country have until 11:59 a.m. Thursday to register for the ellesse Junior Championships, a national tournament returning to Mason's Lindner Family Tennis Center on Friday, August 21, through Sunday, August 23.
Registration is open at playtennis.usta.com.
The three-day event is a USTA-sanctioned National Level 3 tournament for boys and girls 18-and-under, organized by the Cincinnati Tennis Foundation in partnership with the Cincinnati Open and sportswear brand ellesse. It features a 32-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles field, with players selected by national ranking.
This is the tournament's second year. In 2025, Mason's Vibha Gogineni won the girls' singles title, and Mason High School's Daniel Tonkal reached the boys' doubles finals, according to WKRC. New York's Jack Reis captured the boys' singles crown. The inaugural field drew competitors from 27 states, including Puerto Rico.
Matches will take place on Courts 4-18 on the north end of the facility, starting at 8 a.m. Friday, August 21, and 9 a.m. Saturday, August 22, with finals beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday, August 23. Young players will compete on the same courts used by the world's top professionals during the Cincinnati Open, which runs Aug. 11-23.
"There's no better stage for these young players than the same courts as the world's best, on the biggest weekend of our tournament," Cincinnati Open Tournament Director Bob Moran said in a statement Saturday, July 19. "We hope the experience of competing, watching and learning alongside the pros stays with them long after they leave Cincinnati."
The Lindner Family Tennis Center's $260 million expansion, completed in March 2026, brought the complex to 31 outdoor courts. That added capacity makes it possible to host the junior event alongside the Cincinnati Open's Finals Weekend. The venue operates year-round as the Cincinnati Open Sporting Club and will host more than 10 junior and wheelchair tournaments in 2026, according to the Cincinnati Open.
Junior singles and doubles finalists will receive tickets to the Cincinnati Open men's and women's finals on Sunday, August 23.
What's ahead
- Thursday, July 23: Registration deadline for ellesse Junior Championships (11:59 a.m. at playtennis.usta.com)
- Friday, August 21 – Sunday, August 23: ellesse Junior Championships, Courts 4-18, Lindner Family Tennis Center
- Saturday, August 22 – Sunday, August 23: Cincinnati Open Finals Weekend, presented by Credit One Bank
