Western & Southern Extends Title Sponsorship of Tennis Event

The Western & Southern Open tennis tournament will keep its name for at least three more years after it extended it’s sponsorship deal with the Mason event.

Western & Southern Corp’s title sponsorship began in 2002. The two sides did not disclose details of the multimillion-dollar deal, according to a news release.

The Warren County tournament brings in roughly $25 million in economic impact for the Southwest Ohio region, including parts of the Dayton area to the south, as well as the northern parts of Cincinnati. That makes it one of the largest boosts to the region’s economy from a single sporting event.

Western & Southern CEO John Barrett said: “The Western & Southern Open is a world-class event that brings national and international recognition and incredibly positive economic impact to Cincinnati. We’re proud to continue our title sponsorship and help keep this terrific tournament such a valuable part of our community.”

The Western & Southern Open is one of only nine tennis tournaments in the world, including the four Grand Slam events, to host a top-tier men’s and women’s competition during the same week at the same venue.

“Western & Southern has been a true partner of the event for more than a decade,” Western & Southern Open CEO Elaine Bruening said. “It’s a perfect marriage between an iconic Cincinnati company and our historic event, first played here in 1899.”

This year’s event is scheduled for Aug. 11-19 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason. The facility is in the final year of a three-year, $24 million expansion. Maria Sharapova and Andy Murray are defending champions.

by Ismail Uddin