Cincinnati’s Western & Southern Financial Group has extended its title sponsorship of the Western & Southern Open for an additional three years, the tournament announced Thursday in a press release.
The partnership is the longest active naming rights agreement for a professional tennis tournament in North America. This past August was the 20th edition of the tournament, with W&S Open as the title sponsor.
The W&S Open, which features an ATP Masters 1000 as well as a WTA 1000 tournament in the same week at the same venue, is one of five events to host concurrent top-tier tour tournaments along with Indian Wells (California), Madrid, Miami and Rome.
“We are honored to continue our support for world-class tennis in Cincinnati,” said John F. Barrett, chairman, president and CEO of the Western & Southern Financial Group. “This wonderful tournament is both a living tribute to Cincinnati’s rich history and an important part of its bright future.”
As part of the renewed agreement, the W&S Open will feature digital back walls in 2022, which have not previously been used at a combined ATP and WTA event in North America. The LED back walls will showcase a wraparound effect in conjunction with the digital sidewalls that have been used since 2017.
“The decades-long support from Western & Southern Financial Group has afforded us the opportunity to grow the Western & Southern Open into one of the premier events on the tennis calendar,” said Katie Haas, COO of the W&S Open. “Our partnership with Western & Southern has been critical in allowing us to showcase Cincinnati to a global audience and we look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come.”
The reach and impact of the W&S Open is formidable both locally and internationally.
Since becoming a single-week tournament featuring both tours in 2011, the W&S Open has attracted more than 1.8 million spectators, including ticket buyers who have traveled to Cincinnati from all 50 states and more than 35 countries. International broadcast agreements deliver coverage to more than 50 million viewers in over 160 countries.
Locally, through its partnership with Tennis for Charity, the tournament has contributed more than $11 million to community initiatives, including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the UC Health Barrett Cancer Center and Tennis for City Youth.
The W&S Open is held annually at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, and the 2022 tournament will take place Aug. 13-21.
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