The Western & Southern Open tennis tournament takes place in Mason, Ohio.
Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff, the 2023 champions, announced the news in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.
“Your wonderful tournament remains in Cincinnati,” Djokovic said in the clip.
Bob Morgan, president of Beemok Sports & Entertainment, told The Enquirer that $260 million will be invested in improving the Lindner Family Tennis Center, which has hosted the tournament since 1979.
In 2025, the Western & Southern Open will also expand to two weeks of competition for men and women.
The future of the tournament in Cincinnati was in doubt after the city council in Charlotte, North Carolina, voted to move forward with a planned $400 million, 40-court tennis complex in hopes of attracting tournament owner Beemok Capital and relocating the event to bring the state.
According to the video, over 200,000 people attended the 2023 Western & Southern Open.
“History is such an important part of this event,” Morgan said. “As an organization this year we needed to see and feel the event and experience what it’s like to run an event in this market. It was just overwhelmingly successful and the community really came out to welcome us and make us feel how important this is.”
“That was a key component in this process, recognizing what this means for the Greater Cincinnati community,” he added.
The Mason’s City Council approved $15 million for improvements to the tennis complex and the Ohio House of Representatives also added $22.5 million to the state budget for renovations. Beemok will invest over $130 million in the complex, Morgan said.
State and local lawmakers are increasing the amount by $130 million: $50 million from the state, $50 million from Warren County and $30 million from the city of Mason, Warren County Commissioner Dave Young said.
Young said negotiations took nine months and the county came up with a plan that matched Charlotte’s offer in terms of economic development agreements.
“For a long time I felt like a man on an island. I was the only one in town who said, ‘Hey, we have a chance,’ because I spoke to them directly. I wanted to say without lifting our hand that we’re in good shape and ultimately it feels pretty good to be able to say we were right.”
The Western & Southern Open will remain in Mason for the next 25 years as part of the deal, Morgan said.
“I’m almost speechless,” said Mason Mayor Barbara Spaeth. “This is the best news we could have had.”
The tournament, which attracts hundreds of thousands of fans and tennis stars such as Venus and Serena Williams and Roger Federer, is the country’s longest-running professional tennis tournament held in its hometown and will celebrate its 125th anniversary next year.
The Enquirer will update this story with more information.