Western & Southern Open 2023

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

Handing Down Talent

Twice U.S. Open doubles quarterfinalists Tracy Austin and Kathy May found themselves on opposites sides of the proverbial net in at the 2022 U.S. Open when their kids met in the opening round, with Austin’s son, Brandon Holt, recording his first-ever Tour-level match win in an upset over May’s son, Taylor Fritz.

Holt, a former standout at the University of Southern California, and Fritz, who has spent the entire 2023 season in the ATP’s Top 10, are two of a growing number of Tour players who are following the footsteps of their parents, or in the case of Holt, several relatives.

While Holt has yet to play in Cincinnati, the Austins are no strangers to the city. Tracy, a two-time U.S. Open winner, won the 1980 Avon Championships here, and her siblings, John, Jeff, and Pam, all played in what is now the Western & Southern Open. May, who was coached by Cincinnati legend Tony Trabert, preceded Taylor in reaching the Top 10, while his dad, Guy Fritz, also played on the ATP Tour.

Sebastian Korda, a 23-year-old former junior No. 1, is another American born to a pair of tennis playing parents. Petr Korda, 1998 Australian Open winner, was a two-time quarterfinalist here and won the 1993 doubles title. His mom, Regina Rajchrtova Korda, was a Top 30 player herself on the WTA Tour.

Two other Major champions—both of whom reached semifinals in Cincinnati—have children on Tour. Four-time Major winner Hana Mandlikova is mentoring her 22-yearold daughter, Elizabeth Mandlik, while Andres Gomez, 1990 French Open champion, is being followed by his son, Emilio, who enjoyed a successful collegiate career at USC. With the Western & Southern Open’s long history there are several father-son duos who have both played the event in the professional era. In addition to Korda, Ben Shelton, Michael Mmoh and Edouard Roger-Vasselin have all followed their fathersʼ foot-

For these players, tennis has become a family affair. PETE HOLTERMANN

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS

steps to Cincinnati.

Shelton, a 20-year-old who earned his first career Top 10 win last year in Cincinnati, is now coached on Tour by his father, Bryan, after they teamed up as player and coach to lead the University of Florida to the 2021 NCAA title.

Roger-Vasselin claimed the Cincinnati doubles title in 2015, 35 years after his father Christophe reached the singles quarterfinals. Mmoh qualified for the main draw in 2018, 32 years after his father Tony made his lone appearance in Cincinnati.

Father-son connections at the Western & Southern Open are not new. Phil Dent played in Cincinnati in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s before his son, Taylor, carried on the legacy into the 21st century in the 2000s and 2010s.

There is even one instance of parent and child playing the same tournament in the pro era. In 1969, six-time USTA father/son doubles champions, Fred

McNair III and Fred McNair IV, both appeared in the singles draw.

Three other current Top 10 players also have tennis playing parents. Casper Ruud, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, is coached by his father, Christian, who reached one ATP final in the 1990s. Maria Sakkari, a two-time quarterfinalist in Cincinnati, followed her mother, Angeliki Kanellopoulou, onto the tour.

Lastly, we have tennis to thank for 2022 Western & Southern Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas. His mother, Julia Salnikova, played on the WTA Tour and met Stefanos’s father, Apostolos, when he was officiating a WTA event in Athens.

Of course, we’re still waiting to see if and when the children of our 2015 champions take up tennis. Although it’s likely with names like Williams and Federer, no one will need to be reminded of their tennis lineages.

BRYAN SHELTON ( LEFT ) GREETS HIS SON, BEN.

Let's Get Digital

With the updated app, an e-newsletter, and site-wide wi-fi, fans won’t miss a minute of the action.

STAY CONNECTED

Are you the type of fan that wants to be in the know? And by “in the know” we mean being the first to have ticket information, special offers, tournament updates, and the inside scoop? Go to wsopen.com/ newsletter-sign-up to become a Western & Southern Open insider. No junk, no spam. Just the most important tournament info sent in a timely manner.

The best way to stay in the loop during the tournament is by downloading the official Western & Southern Open mobile app (search “Western & Southern Open“ in your phoneʼs app store). Get real-time updates on major matches, on-site entertainment, and tournament news. Plus, easily access your digital tickets and the daily order of play all in just a few taps.

Fan Zone Revamp

From the moment fans walk through the gates at the Lindner Family Tennis Center this August, they’ll be astonished at the new look, feel, and experience of the 2023 Western & Southern Open. Dubbed “the heart of tennis,” this year’s reimagined tournament will provide even more opportunities for fans to experience the passion, excitement, camaraderie, and intimacy that are unique to Cincinnati’s event.

At the center of this experience is the revamped Fan Zone, now positioned just inside the North Gate near Center Court. In addition to world-class tennis on the 17 courts throughout the site, visitors to the tournament will have access to unique programming, live performers, and continuous entertainment all located in the Fan Zone.

Marked by a wide swath of greenspace, the Fan Zone will feature a shade covering for the hot August afternoons, an entertainment stage, and various activations for visitors to enjoy. The focal point of the area will be a massive video wall featuring live footage of the many matches taking place at the tournament (think NFL RedZone but for tennis!). This will be the perfect spot to relax in a comfortable Adirondack chair and take in all the action.

The back side of the video wall is home to a VIP viewing deck overlooking Porsche Court. This exclusive area is available for

guests to upgrade their tickets, treat themselves to bottle service and other premium drink offerings, and enjoy a unique view of the action below.

Looking for something a little more active and hands on? Test your skills with a variety of tennis challenges, including a virtual tennis experience, a speed serve challenge and activities that test your tennis aim and accuracy.

A hallmark of the Western & Southern Open is the ability to get up close and personal with many of the world’s top tennis stars. In the Fan Zone, fans can tune in for daily Q&As and special appearances with the players on both the ATP and WTA tours, in addition to tennis legends, coaches, and personalities.

Be sure to also visit the Western & Southern Experience Booth, also located in the Fan Zone, for your chance to snag an autograph or selfie from players competing in the tournament.

Additional programming and entertainment in the Fan Zone will include daily musical acts, special events like the return of Pups and Players, food and drink sampling, exclusive giveaways, and more. Plus, you can also visit the Stella Artois Airstream for a refreshing beverage or snag a margarita popsicle from Maestro Dobel Tequila.

There’s no shortage of fun things to see, do, taste, and experience at the Western & Southern Open Fan Zone. Visit wsopen. com to see a full line-up of events and entertainment to start planning your visit to the tournament.

Experience the new “heart of tennis” at the Western & Southern Open. ELIZABETH DESROSIERS

( TOP, BOTTOM ) ARTIST RENDERINGS OF THE NEW FAN ZONE AT THIS YEAR'S WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN.

Flower Power

THE WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN MORE THAN doubled the number of botanicals on the grounds of this year’s tournament, making it one of the largest displays of annual florals in the Midwest. Custom vegetation, provided by LaMond Design, filled 15 greenhouses in preparation for the nearly 200,000 attendees expected to spectate the sport of kings. The added color and fragrance are part of many aesthetic improvements to transform the tournament’s guest experience.

MELINA TRAIFOROS

Players to Watch

BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA

For the second year in a row, the French Open marks an important ranking milestone for Beatriz Haddad Maia. In 2022, the Brazilian entered the clay court slam as a newly minted member of the Top 50. She then enjoyed a sensational summer, winning 12 straight matches and back-to-back titles on grass before reaching the WTA 1000 final in Canada. Through the Fall and into the Spring, she reached one semifinal and seven quarterfinals before returning to the French Open where the 27-year-old advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and left Paris as a newly minted member of the Top 10.

Perhaps the most surprising fact about Coco Gauff is that she is still a teenager. While she won’t turn 20 until next March, Gauff is playing her fifth WTA season with great results. She’s ranked in the Top 10 in both singles and doubles. Her singles success has included three titles along with a run to the French Open final in 2022. In doubles, after winning three titles with Cincinnati’s Caty McNally, Gauff now teams up with Jessica Pegula, a partnership that has amassed five titles from eight finals and currently sits at No. 1 in the WTA Race.

ELENA RYBAKINA

It has been a slow and steady rise for 24-year-old Elena Rybakina on her journey into the WTA Top 5. The 18-year-old upset No. 7 (and 2022 W&S Open winner) Caroline Garcia and reached the finals at five events in 2020. In 2021, she upset No. 8 Serena Williams on her way to the French Open quarterfinals before reaching the Tokyo Olympic semifinals. Her biggest breakthrough came in 2022 when she won Wimbledon, and already this season she’s claimed WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells and Rome along with runner-up results at the Australian Open and in Miami.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV

The most successful first half of the 2023 season was played by Daniil Medvedev as he won more matches (39) and titles (five) than any other player on tour through the French Open. During a seven-week earlyseason stretch, the 27-year-old Medvedev won 24 matches, claiming four titles and suffering his only loss in the Indian Wells final. The 2019 Western & Southern Open and 2021 U.S. Open champion, the former No. 1 is a self-proclaimed “hard court specialist” who deviated from his favored surface and won the title on clay this year at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome.

COCO GAUFF

Keep your eyes on these rising stars. PETE HOLTERMANN

BEST SIM P L Y THE

2022 Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards

2022 Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists

BEST MAGAZINE IN OHIO

BEST MAGAZINE

FRANCES TIAFOE

Home soil brings out the best in 25-yearold American Frances Tiafoe. The first two of his three titles came in the U.S., as have his best results in the biggest events—semifinals at the 2022 U.S. Open and 2023 ATP Masters 1000 in Indian Wells. Tiafoe’s athleticism, energy, and swagger pushed him into the Top 10 in June, but his story is arguably as captivating as his play. He is the son of emigrants from Sierra Leone who got into tennis by tagging along while his father worked in maintenances at a junior academy in Maryland.

HOLGER RUNE

Before turning 20 this April, Holger Rune had already won four ATP Tour titles and broken into the Top 10 of the rankings. While he might be overshadowed by that other 20-year-old in the Top 10—Carlos Alcaraz—Rune is certainly establishing himself as a big-time talent. The Denmark native won three titles last season, the biggest being the last, knocking off five Top 10 opponents, including Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, to win the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris. The City of Light has treated him very well, as he’s reached back-to-back French Open quarterfinals.

JANNIK SINNER

Racing seems to come naturally to Jannik Sinner. The Italian was a champion skier as a child before turning to tennis at age 13. Since then, he’s been racing up the tennis charts. The 2019 ATP Newcomer of the Year, he ended 2020 as the highest ranked teenager on Tour. Sinner, who will turn 22 during the Western & Southern Open, has already won seven titles, reached the quarterfinals at each of the Grand Slams and has climbed to the Top 10 of the rankings. He has also been runner-up on three occasions, including twice at the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami.

ONS JABEUR

It’s hard to talk about the accomplishments of Ons Jabeur without including “the first ______ to…” alongside every milestone. A more succinct way to describe the 28-year-old is as a trailblazer, going places that no Arab or African woman has gone before. The Tunisian reached No. 2 in the rankings during a 2022 season that saw her reach the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals to go with a win at the WTA 1000 in Madrid. While the four-time title winner’s results are eye-catching, so, too, is Jabeur’s style, with a healthy dose of spins and drop shots.

50,000 STATES REPRESENTED AMONG TOURNAMENT ATTENDEES

5,657 Skyline coneys sold

20 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AMONG PLAYERS

178,000 IN ATTENDANCE

7,657 slices of LaRosa's pizza consumed

VENDORS

25,157 scoops of Graeter's ice cream enjoyed

TWENTY-FOUR MUSICAL ACTS

FIFTY-FIVE HOURS OF MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT

3,882 TENNIS BALLS USED

208 MATCHES

1,268 volunteers

35 states volunteers call home

4 countries volunteers call home 30 volunteer committees

4,631 GAMES 486 SETS

10,000 Western & Southern paddle fans distributed

750 Kids Day participants

GAME. SET. MATCH.

• Over volunteers supporting the event

• An established fan base that is double the size of the Super Bowl

• Broadcasted in over global markets

• Over million international viewers

• Visitors from over states and countries

• th most watched sport in the world by the number of fans