8-24-2026 9:26pm

Record Crowds, Historic Champions Mark 2026 Cincinnati Open in Mason

Beth Callahan Editor

Photo courtesy of Bill Taggart

MASON, Ohio — More than 300,000 tennis fans passed through the gates of the Cincinnati Open in 2026, setting a tournament attendance record as one of Warren County’s largest international sporting events concluded Sunday with historic victories by Arthur Fils and Coco Gauff.

The 16-day tournament drew 300,288 fans, surpassing the previous record of 285,571 set in 2025. Tournament officials also reported records for single-day, day-session and night-session attendance.

The largest crowd came Saturday, Aug. 15, when 30,479 fans attended. That same day, the day session drew a record 17,441 spectators, while a night-session record of 13,533 was set Thursday, Aug. 13.

The tournament’s reach extended well beyond Greater Cincinnati. Ticket buyers came from all 50 states and 62 countries, and 57% of fans traveled from outside the Cincinnati area to attend.

“We are very excited to have welcomed over 300,000 fans for the first time,” Tournament Director Bob Moran said. He credited additions including Community Weekend, Finals Weekend and the Kroger Indoor Fan Zone with helping elevate the fan experience.

The record-setting tournament ended with history being made on the court.

Fils makes history

Arthur Fils, 22, defeated American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 in the first ATP Masters 1000 final featuring two Black players.

The victory also made Fils the first Frenchman to win the Cincinnati Open since Guy Forget in 1991. Fils, who entered the tournament as the No. 21 seed, is expected to rise to a career-high No. 11 in the world rankings following the victory.

Gauff wins second Cincinnati title

On the women’s side, Coco Gauff defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in the first all-American Cincinnati Open women’s final since 1970.

The victory marked Gauff’s first tournament title of 2026 and her second championship in Mason.

Gauff previously won the Cincinnati Open in 2023, capturing the Rookwood Cup before going on to win her first U.S. Open championship just weeks later.

A Cincinnati trophy tradition

The trophies awarded at the Cincinnati Open carry a tradition nearly as old as the tournament itself.

When the tournament began in 1899, there was no permanent championship trophy. Players instead competed for prizes that included pieces from Cincinnati’s Rookwood Pottery, silver loving cups, racquets, luggage and other items. A permanent trophy was introduced for the 1901 tournament.

Through the decades, the tournament used a succession of trophies, including the Governor’s Bowl, George DeCamp Bowl, Cincinnati Trophy, Wilfred M. Tyler Trophy, Western Trophy and ATP Championship Cup. The current Rookwood Cup tradition began in 2010 when Cincinnati’s historic Rookwood Pottery was asked to create a trophy that would distinctly represent the tournament and its hometown.

Rookwood artist Roy Robinson crafted a 12-pound perpetual trophy featuring tennis balls among acanthus leaves. The cup carries an inscription recognizing the tournament as the oldest tennis tournament in the United States still played in its original city.

The trophy was redesigned as the event returned to the Cincinnati Open name in 2024. The updated version maintained the form of the original Rookwood Cup while incorporating a helix design representing evolution and growth, endurance and resilience, connection and unity, and the precision and skill associated with tennis.

Brazilians capture doubles title

Brazil’s Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos also celebrated a championship Sunday after defeating Germany’s Constantin Frantzen and the Netherlands’ Robin Haase 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in the men’s doubles final.

The victory gave Luz and Matos their second consecutive ATP Masters 1000 doubles championship after also winning in Montreal.

Czech win the WTA Doubles Title

Marie Bouzkova (Czechia) and Linda Noskova (Czechia) defeated Magali Kempen (Belgium) / Alexandra Panova 6-1 and 6-2 in the women's double finals on Saturday.

For Mason and Warren County, the record attendance demonstrated the Cincinnati Open’s continuing ability to draw visitors from across the country and around the world. The tournament will return to Mason Aug. 10-22, 2027.

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