Former ATP touring pro Eric Butorac has been named the tournament director of the Western & Southern Open.
Butorac will be the 32nd person to hold the position since the Western & Southern Open started in 1899 and the first former professional player to be named to the position.
Last year, Butorac served as the assistant tournament director of the combined ATP and WTA 1000-level US Open Series event, and takes on the new role in addition to his duties at the USTA, where he has been the Director, Professional Tennis Operations and Player Relations since 2016.
“We look forward to Eric joining us as Tournament Director,” Western & Southern Open COO Katie Haas said. “Eric has a tremendous passion for tennis and his experience both as a player as well as an administrator in the sport will be assets to our team.”
Butorac's experience in tennis governance dates back to his days as an active player. During his career, he served on the 10-member Player Council from 2008-16, including as vice president under Roger Federer from 2012-14 then as president from 2014-16.
A native of Rochester, Minn., Butorac was an All-American at Division III Gustavus Adolphus College, winning the NCAA singles and doubles titles as well as the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award.
One of five top-tier events to host concurrent ATP and WTA tournaments at the same venue, the Western & Southern Open is held annually at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio as a part of the US Open Series.
Since becoming a single-week tournament featuring both tours in 2011, the Western & Southern Open has attracted more than 1.8 million spectators.
Butorac is looking forward to more continued success for the tennis tradition in Mason, where the Western & Southern Financial Group announced a three-year extension on its naming rights agreement, which began in 2002, late last year.
“The Western & Southern Open is one of the most important events on both tours and is one of the players’ favorites," Butorac said, "thanks in large part to the energy and enthusiasm the fans bring to the tournament."
The 2022 tournament will take place from Aug. 13-21. Australia's Ashleigh Barty and Germany's Alexander Zverev are the defending singles champions.
For more information about the Western & Southern Open, visit the tournament website at wsopen.com.
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