Cincinnati tennis tournament growing with $10M expansion

The Western & Southern Financial Group Masters is already one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, and is the largest summer tennis tournament in the United States outside of the US Open grand slam event.  The Women’s Open does not have the same history or prestige as the men’s draw at this point, but it has been growing fast.

With the size and growth of the two separate tournaments, officials have planned to combine the two into a two-week long event next year.  To compliment that tournament officials have announced a $10 million expansion and upgrade project that will start immediately following this year’s Masters event that is going on now, and will be completed and ready in time for next year’s combined tournament.

The $10 million project will be funded by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), a majority partner in the tournament, and Cincinnati’s Tennis for Charity. The upgrade will add an additional 890 stadium seats, 6 new luxury suites, major media facility upgrades, and player amenity improvements that will clear the way for the now separate men’s and women’s tournaments to be combined and held simultaneously.

The most prominent addition will be the new 52,000 square-foot West Building that will house the new luxury suites, seating capacity, player and media facilities. Tournament officials say that the new West Building will be twice as tall as the existing structure and rise some 97 feet above court level.

The Western & Southern Financial Group Masters event is happening now and runs through Sunday, August 23 in Mason at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

The new $10 million upgrades include:

• A 21,000 square-foot court-level (below grade) player area with two locker rooms (each accommodating more than 100 players), private training rooms, locker rooms for male and female coaches, and a 2,200 square-foot fitness area among other amenities;
• an 8,000-square foot space on the ground floor which includes a 5,500 square-foot indoor player lounge and offices for the ATP World Tour and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour;
• an 11,000 square-foot second floor for player dining, a warming kitchen and storage;
• a 4,800 square-foot outdoor player lounge on the roof of the second floor;
• a 6,300 square foot third floor for interview rooms, featuring a main interview room and three additional interview rooms;
• a 4,800 square foot Media Center on the fourth floor with more than 100 stations for writers and photographers;
• six new luxury suites overlooking Center Court;
• 750 new covered loge-level seats;
• and the addition of 140 seats in the northwest corner of Center Court.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
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