They almost left. Honestly, for a minute there in 2023, it felt like the heart was being ripped out of Ohio tennis. The rumors about the move to Charlotte weren't just whispers; they were loud, concrete, and terrifying for anyone who grew up spending their Augusts sweating through a shirt in Mason. But then Beemok Capital dropped the news: we’re staying. And they didn't just stay. They spent $260 million to turn the Lindner Family Tennis Center into something that, frankly, makes a couple of the Grand Slams look a little cramped.
If you haven't been to Mason lately, you've missed the metamorphosis. It is basically a brand-new world.
The Massive Expansion Most People Haven’t Seen Yet
The scale of the change is hard to wrap your head around until you’re standing in the middle of it. The campus essentially doubled in size. We’re talking over 40 acres now. To put that in perspective, the grounds are now technically larger than the French Open’s home at Roland-Garros. Think about that for a second. A suburban pocket of Ohio has more breathing room for tennis than a Grand Slam in the middle of Paris.
It's not just about the acreage, though. It's the density of the stadiums.
Most people know Center Court—that 11,614-seat beast that has been the anchor since 1981. But the Lindner Family Tennis Center is the only venue on the planet, outside of the four Grand Slams, to boast five permanent tennis stadiums. That is a wild stat. We aren't talking about courts with some temporary metal bleachers slapped on the side for a week. These are real, architectural structures:
- Center Court: The icon.
- Grandstand Court: 5,000 seats and recently upgraded to replace those old, leg-cramping bleachers with actual seats.
- Stadium 3: A 4,000-seat bowl that feels surprisingly intimate for its size.
- Champions Court: The new kid on the block. It’s a 2,300-seat sunken stadium that looks incredible.
- Court 10: The 2,000-seat "sleeper" court where you often catch the best upsets.
Total court count? Thirty-one. In 2023, there were only seventeen. They nearly doubled the playing surfaces in a single construction cycle.
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Why the Cincinnati Open Stayed Put
Ben Navarro, the man behind Beemok Capital, had a tough choice. Charlotte was offering a shiny, new $400 million complex. It was tempting. But you can't buy 125 years of history. The Cincinnati Open is the oldest professional tennis tournament in the U.S. still played in its original city. That matters.
The community stepped up, too. The City of Mason, Warren County, and the State of Ohio basically formed a defensive perimeter. They threw in nearly half the funding for the renovations. It was a "save our team" moment, but for tennis.
Kinda cool, right? In an era where sports franchises move cities for a slightly better tax break, this stayed because of the "unwavering support" of the locals.
The "Park in a Stadium" Vibe
One of the biggest complaints about the old layout was the heat and the asphalt. If you've been there at 2:00 PM in mid-August, you know the "tar smell" I’m talking about. It was brutal.
The redesign ditched the asphalt. Almost all of it. Now, it’s all decorative concrete, natural lawns, and synthetic turf. They planted over 1,200 trees. They put in 42,000 annual flowers. The goal was to make it feel like a park that just happened to have world-class tennis courts in it. They even built a 16,000-square-foot permanent shade structure called The Pavilion.
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If you're a fan, the "sink" is the most important part. They literally dug the new southern courts five feet into the ground. Why? So you can walk along the perimeter and have a 360-degree view of the action without a fence in your face. It’s genius.
Beyond the Two Weeks of the Open
For decades, the Lindner Family Tennis Center was a ghost town for 50 weeks a year. That’s changing in 2026.
The new 56,000-square-foot Clubhouse isn't just for the pros anymore. It’s going to house a year-round restaurant and bar. There’s an indoor tennis center with six courts that will be open to the public. They even added six pickleball courts and two padel courts.
It's becoming a year-round racquet sports hub. They’re already hosting the PPA Tour (professional pickleball) in September. It’s weird to think about people playing pickleball where Alcaraz and Djokovic just battled, but that’s the new reality.
Real Talk: The Player Experience
We focus on the fans, but the players are the ones who decide if a tournament stays prestigious. The new Paul M. Flory Player Center is basically a five-star hotel without the beds. Two levels of locker rooms, wellness and recovery suites, and private dining curated by celebrity chefs like Jet Tila.
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When players like Iga Swiatek or Jannik Sinner talk about "Cincy" being their favorite stop, they aren't just being polite. The intimacy of Mason—the fact that they can stay in quiet houses nearby instead of hectic city hotels—is a major draw.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Visit
If you're planning to head to the Lindner Family Tennis Center for the first time or the twentieth, the rules have changed.
- Don't ignore the practice courts. With the new setup, the Prasco practice courts have permanent seating and video boards. You can see the world #1 from five feet away for the price of a grounds pass.
- The South Entrance is the move. Most people crowd the north side near the old main gate. The new south entrance gets you right to the sunken courts and the new Champions Court immediately.
- Check the 2026 Public Schedule. If you live in the tri-state area, keep an eye on the Clubhouse opening. Being able to eat at a restaurant overlooking Center Court in November is going to be a trip.
- Hydrate early. The new shade is great, but it's still Ohio in August. The "softening" of the grounds with grass has dropped the floor temperature slightly, but it’s still a sun-baked environment.
The reality is that the Lindner Family Tennis Center is no longer just a stop on the way to the US Open. It’s a destination in its own right. It survived the relocation scare and came out the other side as arguably the best-equipped tennis facility in North America. Whether you're there for the 96-player draw or just a weekend pickleball match, the place feels different now. It feels permanent.
Next Steps for Fans: Check the official Cincinnati Open website to register for 2026 ticket pre-sales early, as the expanded 96-player draw has significantly increased demand. If you're a local player, look into the 2026 membership options for the new indoor facility to secure court time before the winter rush.