Western and Southern Open FAQ's

Q. Where is the W&S Open Center Court located?

It can be seen from Interstate 71, directly across from Paramount's Kings Island, about 30 minutes northeast of downtown Cincinnati. It's about one hour from Columbus, Ohio, and about 30 minutes from Dayton, Ohio. Click here for detailed directions, or try www.mapquest.com.

W&S Open Center Court
5460 Courseview Drive
Mason, OH 45040

Q. When will my tickets be delivered?

Tickets are generally delivered one week before your first day of attendance. Actual delivery times vary from event to event depending on many factors including when tickets are physically allocated by the tournament.

Q. What if my tickets are lost or stolen?

When you receive your tickets, keep them in a safe place. Unfortunately, tickets cannot be replaced if they are lost, stolen, or damaged. Please note that direct sunlight or heat can damage some tickets. 

Q. If I want to sit with the sun at my back, so the sun is not facing me, where are the best areas to sit on center court?

Find a seat on the West Side of the stadium 324-327 or 118-130. After about 2:00-3:00 pm you will have the sun to your back which makes watching the matches very nice.

Q. Will the tickets I order be together?

Yes. All ticket order of two tickets will be together. For orders of 3 or more tickets we do our best to get all the tickets together, but it’s not guaranteed. We will make sure to have at least all the tickets as pairs.

Q. When tickets are listed as a “General” ticket for a particular level, what does that mean?

When a ticket is listed as a “General” ticket, such as 100 Level-General", this simply means that your tickets are guaranteed to be located in a section within the 100 level. Even though it’s listed as “General”, all tickets are reserved. You will only know the actual seats (section, row, and seat number) once the tickets are delivered.

Q. When do the sessions begin and end?

On the tickets page, under single session tickets for men and single session tickets for women, you'll find the start times of each session. There are no definite session-ending times, as all sessions last until the matches for that session are completed or the session is determined to be completed (due to rain or other circumstance). In general, the sessions which start at 11 a.m. usually last until about 5 p.m., and the sessions which start at 3 p.m. or 7 p.m. usually last until approximately 11 p.m. Again, ending times are dependant on the length of the matches scheduled for that session. (Gates open two hours before each sessions starts).

Q. Will one ticket allow me to watch both the afternoon and evening sessions?

No. You will need a ticket to attend each session. Please be prepared to present your ticket to the usher for entry to Center Court.

Q. Can you tell me now when a particular player will play?

No. In a single elimination tournament, only one player advances and since no one knows who will win or lose, no one knows who will play when.

Q. When is the first round played? When's the second round played?

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the first and second rounds will be played Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The round of 16 is completed on Thursday, the quarterfinals are played on Friday, the semifinals are played on Saturday and the finals are played on Sunday.

Q On how many courts are matches played?

Depending on the day, matches may be played on up to seven or eight courts.

Q. Can I watch players practice? How do I know who's practicing when and where?

Some courts at the W&S Open Center Court were built specifically as practice courts. Watching practice has become a real fan favorite because fans can get so close to the stars and see them in a relaxed environment. An electronic board near the player entrance (on the west side of the W&S Open Center Court) updates fans on who is practicing on which courts. In addition, fans will have the option to view the player practice schedule during the event by opening www.cincytennis.com on their mobile devices.

Q. How does the W&S Open Center Court compare to other tennis facilities?

The W&S Open Center Court and the venues for the four Grand Slams are the only venues in tennis with more than two permanent stadiums. Cincinnati has four permanent stadiums: Center Court (capacity: 11,435), Grandstand Court (capacity: 5,000), Court #3 (capacity: 4,000) and Court #9 (capacity: 2,000). All four have lights to allow for night play. The site has a total of 16 courts and matches may be played on up to eight of those courts (depending on the day and the tightness of the schedule).

Q. I'm buying single session tickets. Where will I sit? Can I sit down next to the court?

Center Court at the W&S Open Center Court is divided into three levels: The box level, the loge level, and the terrace level. The box level, the loge level and the first five rows of the terrace level are for fans who are buying tickets for the entire tournament, not just one or a few sessions. Also, there are waiting lists for the box and loge levels. However, please keep in mind that the Center Court stadium was specifically built for tennis and seats only 11,435 -- so even the last row provides a great view of the action. Also keep in mind that the earlier you order tickets, the lower your seats will be in the terrace level.

Q. Has the tournament always been called the Western & Southern (W&S) Open?

No. The Cincinnati tournament has had many different names since its beginning on September 18, 1899, including the Cincinnati Open, the Tri-State Tennis Championship, the Western Tennis Championship, the ATP Championship and Tennis Masters Series Cincinnati.

Q. WHAT ARE THE ENTRY TIMES?

11:00 AM day session ticket holders are allowed into the grounds starting at 9:00 AM.
7:00 PM evening session ticket holders are allowed into the grounds starting at 5:00 PM.
Semifinals session 14: Gates open at 11:00 AM
Semifinals session 15: Gates open at 5:00 PM
Finals: Gates open at 11:15 AM

Q. HOW AND WHEN DO THE DRAWS COME OUT?

The draw is made the same way at every tournament. First, the seeds (the highest-ranked players in the draw) are placed in the draw (No. 1 on the first line, No. 2 on the last line and then the others in alternating order on pre-determined lines). Once the seeds are in place, the other players are drawn at random and placed on the empty lines -- starting at the top and going down the draw until it is filled. At this tournament, the draw is made the day before the tournament starts.

Q. WHAT IS THE LINDNER FAMILY TENNIS CENTER LIKE?

The Lindner Family Tennis Center and the venues for the four Grand Slams are the only venues in tennis with more than two permanent stadiums. Cincinnati has four permanent stadiums: Center Court (capacity: 11,435), Grandstand Court (capacity: 5,000), Court #3 (capacity: 3,500) and Court #9 (capacity: 2,500). All four have lights to allow for night play. The site has a total of 16 courts and matches may be played on up to eight of those courts (depending on the day and the tightness of the schedule).

Q. WHAT IS THE LOCATION?

It can be seen from Interstate 71, directly across from Kings Island, about 30 minutes northeast of downtown Cincinnati. It's about one hour from Columbus, Ohio, and about 30 minutes from Dayton, Ohio. Click here for detailed directions, or try google maps.
Lindner Family Tennis Center
5460 Courseview Drive
Mason, OH 45040

Q. IS THERE A LEFT LUGGAGE AREA?

Luggage check is not available at the tournament. Please make other arrangements to get your luggage to your accomodations if you happen to be coming directly from the airport.

Q. CAN I ENTER MULTIPLE SESSIONS WITH ONE TICKET?
NO. IT'S A ONE TICKET, ONE SESSION EVENT. You will need a ticket to attend each session. Please be prepared to present your ticket to the usher for entry to Center Court.

Q. HOW ABOUT THE OUTSIDE COURTS?

The Lindner Family Tennis Center has 16 courts, and matches are generally played on several of those courts. When you buy a ticket, you buy a reserved seat on Center Court, but you also are free to watch matches on other courts. Generally, matches are played on other courts until the Friday night session. On Friday night, Saturday day, Saturday night and Sunday, matches are only played on Center Court and Grandstand. (Note: A "grounds pass" ticket does not provide a seat on Center Court, but does allow you access to the other courts. Grounds passes are sold only after all reserved tickets are sold.)
Depending on the day, matches may be played on up to seven or eight courts.

Q. HOW MANY PLAYERS ARE IN THE EVENT? WILL THE TOP PLAYERS BE THERE?

Players in the world's top 44 get directly into the main draw. Seven spots in the draw are filled by qualifiers -- those players who successfully win two matches during the qualifying matches on the Saturday and Sunday prior to the start of the main draw. Four spots are filled by "wild cards," granted at the tournament's discretion. And one spot is left open in case a player who would have had to qualify reaches the semifinals at ATP Masters Canada (played the week before Cincinnati). (Why? That player can't play qualifying in Cincinnati if he's still playing in Canada, and reaching the semifinal of a ATP Masters Series event should be enough to get you in the next big event. It's called the "special exempt rule.") That makes a total of 56 -- 44 direct acceptances, 7 qualifiers, 4 wild cards and 1 special exempt.
The tournament will not know specific names of players who have committed to the event until early July, at which point the list will be posted on the website.

Q. ARE THERE ANY PRACTICE COURTS WHERE WE CAN WATCH THE PLAYERS?

Some courts at the Lindner Family Tennis Center were built specifically as practice courts. Watching practice has become a real fan favorite because fans can get so close to the stars and see them in a relaxed environment. An electronic board near the player entrance (on the west side of the Lindner Family Tennis Center) updates fans on who is practicing on which courts. Because the practice courts are inside the grounds, you must have a valid ticket to watch practice sessions.

Q. WHAT IS SEATING LIKE ON CENTER COURT AND OUTSIDE COURTS?

Center Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center is divided into three levels: The box level, the loge level, and the terrace level. The box level, the loge level and the first five rows of the terrace level are for fans who are buying tickets for the entire tournament, not just one or a few sessions. Also, there are waiting lists for the box and loge levels. However, please keep in mind that the Center Court stadium was specifically built for tennis and seats only 11,435 -- so even the last row provides a great view of the action. Also keep in mind that the earlier you order tickets, the lower your seats will be in the terrace level. All seating in Center Court, Grandstand, and Stadium 3 has a seat back or a bench back.

Q. WHAT ARE THE START TIMES FOR EACH OF THE SESSIONS?

On the tickets page (Click here), under single session tickets for men and single session tickets for women, you'll find the start times of each session. There are no definite session-ending times, as all sessions last until the matches for that session are completed or the session is determined to be completed (due to rain or other circumstance). In general, the sessions which start at 11 a.m. usually last until about 5 p.m., and the sessions which start at 3 p.m. or 7 p.m. usually last until approximately 11 p.m. Again, ending times are dependent on the length of the matches scheduled for that session. (Gates open two hours before each sessions starts.)

Q. WHO WILL BE BROADCASTING THE EVENT ON TV?
The Western & Southern Open is one of the most televised tennis events with three broadcast partners. Audiences can tune in to ESPN2, ESPN3 and the Tennis Channel or watch on various networks in 189 countries around the world. Please consult your local listings for air times. Click here to view the television schedule for our broadcast partners. Also fans can log on to TennisTV.com to watch matches.

Q. WHAT'S THE POLICY WITH UMBRELLAS?
Umbrellas are allowed in the grounds but are not permitted be open in the stands during match-play.

Q. IS THERE WIFI ONSITE?

Free fan WIFI is available across all 20 acres of the W&S Open provided by Powernet. The locked wifi networks are only for use by tournament officials.

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