(The Center Square) – The professional tournament that has been in Cincinnati since 1899 will stay, the 2023 champions announced on social media Tuesday.
Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff made the announcement in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, with Djokovic saying, “your wonderful tournament is staying in Cincinnati.”
The tournament has been played at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, just outside of Cincinnati, since 1979 but flirted with moving to Charlotte this year after the city approved $65 million to build a $400 million tennis facility, as previously reported by The Center Square.
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, officials also committed $30 million to the project, with officials in North Carolina securing another $95 million.
Ohio state Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, moved $22.5 million in the state budget signed into law in July to invest in the tournament and planned upgrades at the current facility.
“I am thrilled that the Western & Southern Open recognizes that Mason and Warren County are the best home for this tournament. Our tradition and teamwork were key elements in creating the environment for this success,” Mathews said Tuesday. “This event adds such an economic boost to our communities, and I stand behind the investment I introduced that showed our commitment to keeping this in Ohio.”
Mathews said the tournament brings more than 180,000 visitors from all 50 states and $80 million to the local area annually. The ATP plans to expand the tournament to a two-week event, expecting an economic impact of at least $150M.
“I would like to thank Sen. [Steve] Wilson, Warren County Commissioners David Young and Tom Grossmann, Mason City Council, and all of our local, regional, and statewide leaders that made this possible,” Mathews said. “By working together and focusing on the task at hand, we demonstrated Ohio’s commitment to keeping this world-class tournament in our local community.”
