USTA staff and volunteers lead community events at 2024 Cincinnati Open

Sat., Aug. 10 - Community Day

The tournament's very first Community Day gave fans an opportunity to watch pros practice on the venue's 21 courts; try out a new, heart-pumping sport, Cardio Tennis; and sample local food and drink favorites on-site. Tickets for the event sold out within minutes.

Sat., Aug. 10 - Mon., Aug. 19 - Fan Experience

Fans of all ages enjoyed hitting the ball around on USTA Midwest mini courts. The pop-up site served as a perfect reminder to get active and play tennis! 

Sun., Aug. 11 - Kids Day

A crowd favorite, Kids Day, saw hundreds of young fans take to Center Court for tennis fun alongside pro players! Thank you to the many volunteers who made Kids Day possible: USTA Midwest, Ohio Valley, Chicago, and the Midwest Board of Directors and Cincinnati Tennis Foundation.

Mon., Aug. 12 - Tue., Aug. 13 - Women's Coaches Summit

USTA Midwest, USTA Ohio Valley, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) organized the 2024 Women's Coaches Summit, an opportunity for female coaches to network and build camaraderie. The event saw 43 attendees from five states support each other through on-court and off-court presentations with guest speakers from the WNBA and WTA tours.

Tue., Aug. 13 - Pride Night

Tennis is always open for everyone! And three days into the tournament, 134 Pride Night attendees—a new event record—showed support for our LGBTQ+ tennis community. 

Sat., Aug. 17 - Diverse Program Meet Up

USTA Midwest hosted a junior team tournament and meet up event for 42 youth. The tournament was a great way for players to meet kids from out of state (Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Lansing, etc.) and to hear from professional tennis players like 2024 French Open doubles champions Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo, who ended up winning the Cincinnati Open title!

Sat., Aug. 17 - Wheelchair Tennis and Para Standing Tennis Matches

World Champion of Para Standing Tennis (PST) Category 3, Danny Scrivano, promoted PST and wheelchair tennis at umpired exhibition matches, showcasing individuals with physical disabilities. Also at the event were alumni from University of Michigan's wheelchair tennis program.

Sat., Aug. 17 - High School Showcase

Two high school teams from Mt. Vernon and Wilmington, Ohio had a showdown at the High School Showcase. The players displayed excellent sportsmanship and positive attitudes!

Sun., Aug. 18 - Player Development Camp

Our section hosted a Player Development Camp at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, bringing together 10 boys and 10 girls, ages 14 and under, from across the Midwest. The camp featured top junior players and high-performance coaches, including Jeff Smith, Stephanie Smith, Brian Schubert, Ryan McDaniel, Tom Walker and Lynn McNally, who guided players through a series of drills and provided an educational Q&A session. The best part? Campers got to chat with two-time Olympian Ellen Perez, who shared valuable insights into the journey of becoming a professional tennis player!

Sun., Aug. 18 - Adaptive Tennis

Local organizations ACEing Autism, Buddy Up For Life, Inc. and the Cincinnati Tennis Foundation worked with the Cincinnati Open and USTA Midwest to showcase inclusive programming for players with physical or cognitive/developmental disabilities, and for players who are blind or visually impaired. Athletes had the amazing opportunity to play against pro Ellen Perez!

Sun., Aug. 18 - Mon., Aug. 19 - Southwest Ohio Adult Grand Prix

All summer long, adult players competed and accumulated points at Ohio tournaments to become eligible for a chance to play at the Ohio Valley Grand Prix Masters during the Cincinnati Open ATP-1000 event. 30 players received an invitation to show off their skills at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.