CINCINNATI, USA—The Cincinnati Open is officially underway—and fans walking through the gates this week may barely recognize the place.
The Lindner Family Tennis Center has undergone a dramatic $260 million transformation ahead of this year’s event. A sunken show court, a sleek new two-story player Clubhouse, an expanded Grandstand, and sprawling shaded plazas are just a few of the upgrades that have completely reimagined the site. And it’s all part of a larger vision to make this venue the beating heart of tennis in the Midwest.
Read More: The Cincinnati Open will be bigger this year, yet still in a place that feels comfortably small
Tuesday marked the start of ATP and WTA qualifying rounds, with players like Nikoloz Basilashvili, Adrian Mannarino and women’s top seed Laura Siegemund among those scoring wins on the newly upgraded P&G Stadium Court. The court now sports a striking new color palette: a darker navy-blue surface set against a bright cerulean backdrop.
Behind the scenes, the rebuild has been intense. After Beemok Capital and Ben Navarro acquired the tournament’s sanction two years ago—with plans to move it to Charlotte—the event’s future in Ohio looked uncertain. But a new deal with the the City of Mason, Warren County and the State of Ohio ensured the tournament would stay in its longtime home. What followed was a total site overhaul, with crews reportedly working until just days before the first serve to complete the renovations.