The Cincinnati Open, one of the longest running tennis tournaments in the USA, has announced that its campus will be undergoing an extensive renovation prior to the 2025 tournament.
Planned to improve both fan and player experiences, the entire campus will be elegantly reimagined, with modern stadium facades and extensive landscaping to create a park-like feel throughout the venue. New fan amenities, courts and player facilities will also be added to increase capacity for the tournament’s expansion.
The work represents the next stage of a US$260 million investment in upgrades announced by tournament owner Beemok Capital, in order to keep the Cincinnati Open in its current home for the next 25 years.
“We are ushering in a new era at the Cincinnati Open, and the complete transformation of our campus will create an unparalleled experience for our fans and players,” said Bob Moran, president of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “Our goal is to provide a best-in-class experience to everyone who touches the Cincinnati Open, and these projects, which are made possible through partnerships with the City of Mason, Warren County and the State of Ohio, are the foundation upon which we will build the next chapters of this storied event’s history.”
A sleek, continuous facade will wrap both Center Court and Grandstand Court in the heart of the new-look campus. To the north, a permanent fan plaza shaded by an expansive canopy will provide a gathering spot for spectators with additional landscaping to create more greenspace and modular opportunities for sponsor activations. To the south, a brand new, 2,000-seat sunken stadium will be added to the campus, making it the fourth largest of the venue’s five permanent stadia.
The additional stadium is one of 10 new courts being added to the site to help facilitate the event’s growth to feature 96-player ATP and WTA singles fields over more days in 2025. In total, the campus will have 31 courts, up from the planned 21 for 2024.
A new, 56,00ft2, two-story player centre will be among the most significant additions to the site. The world-class facility will include lounge and restaurant space for the tournament’s players and their support teams, wellness and recovery rooms for the players and locker rooms for coaches. Existing player facilities on the three lowest floors of the Paul Flory Player Center will be renovated to provide additional locker room space and an expanded, state-of-the-art fitness centre.
Other work planned for the campus includes a new, six court indoor facility and the creation of six pickleball and two padel courts on the grounds.
The majority of the work to expand the campus will be to the south and west of the venue’s current footprint. Additional parking will be added to the north of the campus and multiple new access points to the parking areas will be created in the coming years.
The 2025 site improvement planning is being led by Gensler, a global architecture, design and planning firm, while the construction will be overseen by Barton Malow.
“We are excited to partner with the Cincinnati Open to design a new vision for the tournament and create enhanced fan and player experiences,” said Kristin Byrd, design director and architect, Gensler. “The campus transformation will include comprehensive upgrades and improvements making an enormous impact for many generations to come. When complete, the grounds will feature an increase in green space and trees. This will be paired with an updated campus aesthetic showcasing clean lines, simple, elegant forms and a fresh, neutral colour palette that will beautifully complement the park-like setting. Our design team focused on creating an authentic sense of place by incorporating regional building materials, engaging with local artisans and honouring the tournament’s history through layering of art and historical iconography — all with a modern twist.”
The 2025 Cincinnati Open Campus Transformation projects are in addition to the previously announced work that is currently underway to upgrade the seating experience within Center Court and Grandstand Court, as well as adding four practice courts, renovating the Crosscourt Suites and Top Deck lounge areas, and adding a new hospitality suite overlooking Grandstand Court.
