Cincinnati Open's $260 Million Renovation Includes Pickleball Courts

In the latest example of tennis facilities embracing pickleball, the Cincinnati Open – one of the longest-running tennis events in the country – announced a $260 million renovation project to its facility that will include the construction of six pickleball courts.

The campus, based in Mason, Ohio, hosted the PPA Cincinnati Open (pickleball) last September. It's home to one of the premier tennis events on the ATP Tour calendar every August leading up to the U.S. Open.

Upgrades coming to the Cincinnati Open

The campus will be updated with modern stadium facades and extensive landscaping. Among the upgrades includes:

• New fan amenities, such as a permanent fan plaza that's shaded with a canopy and additional greenspace
• A 56,000-square-foot two-player center, which will include a lounge and restaurant space
• Renovations of the current player facilities on the three lowest floors of the Paul Flory Player Center, including additional locker space and an expanded fitness center
• A new six-court, indoor facility
• Creation of six pickleball and two padel courts
• A new 2,000-seat stadium, which will be the fourth largest of the venue's five permanent stadiums

All in all, the campus will grow from 21 to 31 courts.

"We are ushering in a new era at the Cincinnati Open, and the complete transformation of our campus will create an unparalleled experience for our fans and players," said Bob Moran, president of Beemok Sports & Entertainment.

Other tennis-first facilities embrace pickleball

This announcement comes on the heels of the French Open announcing that this year's event on the red clay of Roland Garros will feature pickleball demonstrations on a few of the outer courts during the championship.

First, it was tennis courts; now, it's tennis stadiums. We're doing it, pickleball fans. We are doing it.