Visiting the Cincinnati Open
Aug 18, 2024
The Cincinnati Open is steeped in rich history. For instance, in 1923, the tennis tournament was halted momentarily to conduct a memorial service for a fallen U.S. President. At 3:45 pm on Friday, August 10, 1923, players, and fans alike suspended play to honor President Warren G. Harding, who died on August 2 of what was believed to be a stroke. After further medical review, it is now believed that he succumbed to heart failure. The ceremony was timed to coincide with President Harding’s graveside service and burial in his hometown of Marion, Ohio. As the Cincinnati Open celebrates the 125th anniversary since its inception in 1899, the tournament returns to its original name with a new logo.
Photo credit: Maggie Brown/Cincinnati Open.
The tournament is older than several deep-rooted American sporting events, including the Rose Bowl (1902), World Series (1903), Indianapolis 500 (1911), the Masters (1934) and the last but not least Super Bowl (1966). This pro tournament is one of the ten active athletic contests worldwide to have started in the 19th century.
Throughout the course of the tournament scheduled roundtable interviews, I had the opportunity to ask Aryna Sabalenka the following question: “How do you deal with the heat at the Cincinnati Open?” She responded by saying “Since I did not play Wimbledon, I was in Florida. In the evening, I was wearing a jacket.” Taken by surprise, everyone in the room laughed at her answer. However, taking it more literally than the question meant, the heat and humidity in Florida make it a premier training hub for serious world class tennis players and home to many other elite athletes. Some have suggested that Florida is the nation’s sporting capital. Sabalenka elaborated her answer as follows, “if you can survive the Florida July heat, you can survive anything.” Sabalenka participated in a rigorous training camp in Florida to prepare for the Cincinnati Open.
Photo credit: Jared Wickerham/Cincinnati Open.
Another player doing the rounds with reporters was gold medalist Zheng Qinwen who recently won singles at the Paris Olympics. Qinwen was asked “Where was her Olympic hardware”? She responded smiling and stated, “It is already in China. The first thing my father stated firmly when I called him was quote: “Give your medal to your manager. We want the medal back in China.” Qinwen is hoping to have a productive tournament in Cincinnati and continue her winning streak.
As previously detailed by the editor and publisher of the Florida Tennis Magazine, Matt Pressman, Brandon Nakashima continued his awe-inspiring comeback with a pair of impressive wins over Taylor Fritz (6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6)) and Arthur Fils (7-5,7-6 (3)) at the Cincinnati Open before Andrey Rublev halted his run. Nakashima mentioned how the Emilio Sánchez Academy in Naples, Florida has lots of courts nested in the alluring private club which was ideal for his pro tour resurgence.
YouTube: Cincinnati Open.
In late 2023, Cincinnati Open owner Beemok Capital guaranteed to invest $260 million into tournament site upgrades to enhance the fan and player experience, while keeping the event at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. This has assured that the loyal fan base continues to grow at this tournament. A must stop outside the Lindner Tennis Center is the historic Graeter’s Ice Cream Co. at 5440 Dixie Highway, where they offer their premier peach ice cream. If you stay in the Tennis Center, you can still enjoy other fabulous ice cream flavors from their company.
This year’s Cincinnati Open has been reimagined with a design for the trophy that embodies several significant concepts such as evolution and growth, endurance and resilience, connection and unity, precision and skill that ties the sport of tennis with the Cincinnati Open community.
A special thank you is due to Toni Woods who is the Media Director for the Cincinnati Open. Toni provided a valuable media guide that describes the evolution of professional tennis in Cincinnati. Additionally, Richard Osborn, a gifted writer for the Cincinnati Open, also provided priceless data points for this article. The next Cincinnati Open schedule goes from August 7- August 18, 2025.
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Guillermo Morales-Rubert is the CFO of the Military and Federal Assistance Program (MFAP). The program offers help, hope and healing to those active and retired members of the US Armed Forces. In addition, MFAP gives assistance to federal government employees who have single income families. Guillermo is a contributing writer for the Florida Tennis Magazine. Top Photo: Jason Whitman/ Cincinnati Open.