Crown Jewel of the Queen City: Paul Flory made Cincy a top tour stop

It’s been more than 35 years since Ronald Reagan stated, during his first inaugural address, “Those who say that we’re in a time when there are no heroes, they just don’t know where to look.” We discovered heroes in every state, starting with the determined 69-year-old who won a match at an ITF Pro Circuit event earlier this year in the Alabama town of Pelham, and culminating with the coach who has overcome multiple sclerosis to build a winning program at the University of Wyoming. Their compelling stories of courage, perseverance and achievement demonstrate that the message delivered by our 40th President rings as true today as it did then.

When a tournament experience fails to unfold exactly how players imagine it, whether because of subpar lodging, unreliable transportation or match-scheduling issues, they are often heard repeating a common refrain: “Tournaments care more about their bottom lines than they do about the athletes.”

Paul Flory made it his personal mission to ensure that could never be said of Cincinnati’s Western & Southern Open. In the process, he became a legendary figure in his community and in the notoriously insular world of professional tennis. Today, three years after his death, his legend and legacy continue to impact fans and players alike.

When Flory took the reigns of what was then the Western Tennis Championships in the fall of 1974, the men’s-only event was struggling financially. A retired Procter & Gamble executive, he immediately employed his corporate savvy to help raise the event’s profile. In an era when former players lacking business backgrounds often landed tournament director positions, Flory immediately stood out.

But far from exclusively focusing on the balance sheet, he made player accommodations a priority. When the August tour stop moved from a single stadium court at Cincinnati’s Coney Island amusement park to the nearby suburbs in Mason, OH, in 1979, Flory was the first to offer players a car for the week. He also worked to find the athletes comfortable housing with local families.

His efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Big names like Stan Smith, Eddie Dibbs and Harold Solomon could often be found shooting the breeze in his office midway through the tournament. Two-time Cincinnati champion Michael Chang summed up the players’ comfort level with Flory in an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“When Paul needs something, the players are more than happy to do it,” Chang said, “because they know if there's anything the players need, Paul's willing to go out of his way to take care of it.”

Elaine Bruening, the tournament’s current CEO, speaks to that same tireless determination. Flory convinced Bruening, also a former Procter & Gamble executive, to break into the tennis industry in 1987.

“For me, it was an easy decision,” she says. “Knowing I was going to be working with Paul made it even easier, because I knew he wasn’t going to let anything fail.”

Over the course of several multimillion-dollar renovation projects to the tournament’s current home at the Lidner Family Tennis Center, Flory helped turn a Cincinnati suburb into one of the most desirable tennis destinations in the world. In addition to building a 52,000 square-foot player center in 2010, named by the tournament in his honor, Flory orchestrated the addition of a WTA event in 2011. Today, the Western & Southern Open is second only to the U.S. Open in size, taking place on a 19-acre piece of land complete with 16 courts, four stadiums and a spacious promenade for fans.

Growth can lead to oversight, but players on the ATP and WTA tours consistently gush about the small-town atmosphere and personalized feel that Flory created. After winning his seventh Cincinnati title in 2015, Roger Federer spoke to the fans who return each August to see him play.

“I don't know how many years I can come back,” Federer said, “but I'll try my best to be here many more years to come.”

Chairman of the tournament until his passing in 2013 at the age of 90, Flory placed an emphasis on giving back to his community. In 2016, the event presented the local children’s hospital with a check for $385,000, bringing the total donated over the past 40 years to just under $10 million.

For the thousands who visit the Western & Southern Open each summer, and the rest who watch it on television, Flory’s personal touch is evident.

“I have to be candid,” he told the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1999. “It's satisfying to know that something has turned out well.”