Western & Southern Open

A very well-​run event that that seems to continue to want to improve each year, the Western & Southern Open is the première tennis event in the midwest, not to mention the longest running. Attracting top talent, this tournament also attracts a substantial crowd, so it’s wise to get your tickets early, especially if you’re mainly interested in the later matches.
Staffed largely by volunteers, who do a commendable job given the amount of work they’re expected to do for free & some of the things they’re asked to put up with (grown men throwing tantrums over the posted backpack policy, nitpicking policies re: water bottles, etc.), once you’re inside, you’ll have access to a variety of local food vendors, offering slightly higher than average versions of what you can find if you go to their restaurants — they don’t allow food inside, so be prepared.
There are conveniences to be had — there’s a fun pro shop, where there’s plenty of merchandise themed to the event, people giving away random freebies that might even be useful (like sunscreen) & places to charge your phone. There might even be a chance for a photo op or autograph with your favorite player.
Leaving can be a bit hectic — parking is confusing & the lots (a portion of a golf course is used for one section), can be dirty, so you might need a car wash when all is said & done. Still, you’re in for some great tennis & a fun couple of weeks.

It’s a beautiful place to see some good tennis! It is also fun to attend the volleyball that comes in town in August/​September. Overall, great venue!

The Western & Southern Open is one of the most coveted tournaments by the world’s greatest players — and if you’re a pro tennis fan in Ohio, it should also be one of your top annual regional summer destinations.
Federer, Joker, Nadal, Serena — they all play this tournament. I appreciate great seats the older I get, and I lucked into some ideal viewing this summer. As a tournament site, the layout is compact and relatively easy with plenty of food and drink choices — including ice cream. The weather was sweltering for the men’s and women’s finals but the tournament was prepared, taking care of its fans with paddles to ease the pain. No matter where you sit, you’ll feel close to the action and the non-​stadium courts are also ideal spots to observe all the tennis technique nuances to improve your own game. The parking may require some patience — and a car wash afterwards as the lots are dry and dusty.

I looooove me some ATP tennis, and how cool that I have a venue practically in my backyard to see it in person? Shame on me for taking as long as it did to finally splurge on tickets, but man, the Western & Southern Open has quickly become a summer staple for me. Now, I don’t have anything to compare it to (yet), but I look forward to coming to the Lindner Center every year — if not for the clean venue and friendly staff, then definitely for the food and drink options. Between the Graeter’s, Taste of Belgium, Fusian, and LaRosa’s, it’s seriously a food lover’s dream. And, it’s actually not THAT over priced ($ 5 for a bowl of ice cream and $ 14 for Taste of Belgium waffles & chicken… Sold). The cocktails, however, are a different story. It’ll cost you $ 10 for a watered-​down margarita (or maybe it was just watered-​a down because the ice had melted from the thousand degree temperature, but still).
The venue is fabulous and very well maintained. Each year, we’ve gotten seats that might as well have been in the very back row. But you know what? There’s not a bad seat in the house, so I don’t mind. As long as I can continue to see Federer continue his W&S reign, I’m happy.
Until next summer…

So I went again this year. By Thursday, they had run out of bottled water and mustard. I do believe that beyond crossing state lines, you cross into an altered state that is Mason OH. As noted in my review last year, it’s a lot of clueless volunteers that are beyond helpless. (See the 10 year olds giving parking instructions from last year’s comments.) And the food was slightly better than previous years. I do chuckle because one of the overpriced vendors advertises that a % is given to charity. My feeling is, you don’t need to overcharge me ($ 3.75 for a small bottle of water – you know the kind you buy a case for for $ 3.99.) and then try to make me feel good about it. (Minus the tax deduction I might add…) It’s good that there is world class tennis this close but it’s not without its pain – suffice to say I do it once a year with gritted teeth. And take a pass on the «manicure station.» it is little more than a very overpriced polish change – there is no manicure here and if you had a blind person polish your hands, (and I do mean hands) they would likely to a better job. I did get to chatting with someone who attended in a year that I did not and they told me about how the tournament blocked all cell phone usage (and did this intentionally) and no one could make a call. (I’m guessing it’s probably good that noone had a heart attack???) Only in Mason, OH is this normal.

As a total novice to tennis I had watched a bunch of YouTube videos the night before to get a grasp for the rules and scoring. Knowing just enough to understand most of what was going on in the matches, this was a great experience. I will certainly be returning next year, and maybe I’ll start playing tennis in the meantime. Besides the matches being fun, the Lindner Family Tennis Center is a beautiful facility. I’m glad Cincinnati has such a great location available for hosting this event.

If you like tennis this is the place for you. However I’m not a big fan. I go every year because some how I get free tickets. I always have fun walking around looking at all of the booths and watching the matches but I get bored after about 30 mins and everything there is so expensive. A beer runs from $ 8 to $ 10 and the food cost three to four times what it would be in the same restaurant down the street. It is something that I think everyone should go see and do once but if I had to pay for it I could spend my money on other things.

What a cool and well run event! This year was my first time attending a live tennis event though I have taken tours of other venues.
Here are some of my highlights:
1) There was a water spout where you could fill up empty water bottles instead of continually buying $ 5.25 1 L bottles.
2) There was a booth handing out sunscreen.
3) There was a booth renting phone chargers ($ 7 – 9).
4) There was plenty of under tent /​umbrella seating on the grounds.
5) There were lots of various and healthy food options from local and chain restaurants. I was very impressed with the food selection and got to sample some local Cincinnati restaurants.
There is really no bad seat in the house. I had a great view of the matches. Of course I wish I had a shaded seat, but oh well. The traffic was run well also and it didn’t take long to walk to the car or exit the venue after the matches for the day. For entering the venue there was a long line for bag inspection, but to the far right of that was an express line for people with no bag.

Having a great time at the Open. Good eats! Tony’s fish tacos are good (sautéed fish, not fried) but messy. Nachos from Hot Head Burritos were yummy. But they’ve run out of bottled water at the concessions :0(so deducted a star. My sister had sushi from Fusian which she really liked. I had a bite and it was good. You choose your fillings and sauces and outer wrapper. Did think the $ 18 for one glass of champagne at Moët was pricey though.

The W&S Open is simply amazing, each and every year. It is one of the last stops before the US Open, so all the top players are here looking for some good competition. For the past 3 years, which I’ve been lucky to attend, we have had Djokovic, Nadal (injured 1 yr), Federer and Murray.
Not only is the tennis great, the atmosphere and facilities are top notch too. Any court but Centre Court allows you to go right up to the front row and observe the pros. There are a ton of vendors each year selling delicious foods, a nice open courtyard in the middle for people to mingle, and even a huge tennis shop.
Tip for volunteers on Saturday mornings: Snatch up some awesome tennis equipment from the MIdWest Sports Volunteers Sale!

Such a great place in Cincy for a world class tennis event. Watch top players in ATP World Tour & WTA Tour rankings play there best in action. Stop by at practice courts more than once to see your favorite players up close in person.
Don’t forget to check out the westside of the Center Court, the players entrance to Player Center. Another spot to see the players so close. This is my second Masters 1000 tournament venue visited after BNP Paribas in IWTG. See you in August Mason/​Cincy.

This is just a tremendously well run tournament. It’s clean, accessible, there’s a ton of food options everywhere, staff is friendly, and you can get up close to the players who are there (especially early in the week).
Center court is a perfect size, and if you buy tickets to center, you can get into any of the other courts to watch tennis there. You’re able to sit really really close at all the outer courts, and get an up close view of the action.
The quality of tennis is always great here, but the quality of the venues, the food options and the overall experience are amazing. It’s expensive, but what major sporting event isn’t?
One tip, bring cash ($ 4 ATM fees and the only some of the places take AmEx), and if you’re sitting in the 300 level, bring or buy a seat cushion… My butt is still sore from the metal benches.
100% satisfaction though, I can’t wait to return.

For a smaller tournament, this is really great, but they have a few kinks to work out I think.
Parking was free, so that was a bonus — though it’s on a hilly and dirty field. And the parking attendants seemed confused as to what to do when the afternoon crowd was leaving and the night crowd was filing in.
The people working there were really nice. Right down to the guy that I talked to on the phone when we were driving in from Chicago. I wanted to know if they had sold out of Center Court seats and started selling grounds tickets. They had 19 left to be sold, so come on over!
Their merchandise was lacking. I saw someone with a drawstring backpack, which they had none of. The posters sold out before we got our hands on one.
But, if you want autographs, don’t go to the US Open — go see the practice schedule as soon as you walk in the door and go see your favorite players up close on small courts! Amazing!
I think we’ll definitely be back — just be prepared to be disappointed if your favorite players withdraw or don’t show up altogether. They’re saving themselves for NYC the following weekend. Bummer.

If you’re ever shopping at the Kenwood Towne Center in late July and you think you see Andy Roddick browsing shorts at Abercrombie & Fitch, do a double-​take, it probably is him. Every year tennis stars, including Roddick, Fedderer, Blake, and Hewitt, descend on Cincinnati to play in the annual Western & Southern Financial Group Masters. The matches are played at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason, almost directly across the street from Kings Island Amusement Park.
While I’ve seen Roddick shopping at Kenwood during the weeklong event, I’ve also seen the athlete in his natural habitat at the Master’s tournament. I have seen the matches from the viewpoint of a volunteer (anyone can volunteer and you get free admission-​call 513−665−3822), from the luxury of the «box» seats, and from the peanut gallery cheap seats. All three experiences have been great, because all three have afforded me the opportunity of seeing Roddick’s famed serve and abdominal muscles close-​up (OK, so I have a bit of a crush…).
If you buy a «grounds pass» along with your ticket you have the opportunity to wander freely on the grounds of the tennis center; meaning you can get up close and personal to tennis stars on the smaller practice courts that surround Center Court, where the finals are played. There is a long waiting list to get «box» (in quotes because they aren’t truly boxes, just open-​air marked off sections in the lower level) and lower level seating; but ask around, someone you know more than likely knows someone who has the ability to get you great seating. Visitors have the option to buy tickets to «sessions» or the entire tournament. Since this tournament is «one and out,» there is no set schedule as to which players will be on the court at what times. I like to guarantee myself a good match by only purchasing tickets to Session 17, which is the final match. This year, single tickets cost $ 46 and the finals take place on August 3^rd.
Plenty of food and drink options available for patrons at the tournament, as well as a fully stocked tent of every tennis accessory you could ever need. Visitors are only allowed to bring in one closed bottled water each so make sure you bring cash; late July in Cincy averages 90 degrees!