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The Cincinnati Open drew 300,288 fans during its 16-day 2026 tournament in Mason, surpassing the previous attendance record of 285,571 set in 2025. Tournament officials said the event set four attendance records, including total attendance, single-day attendance, day-session attendance and night-session attendance. Fans came from all 50 states and 62 countries, while 57 percent traveled from outside the Cincinnati area.
The total number of attendees in the recently concluded Cincinnati Open surpassed 300,000 fans for the first time in tournament history during the 2026 event in Mason.
Tournament officials reported 300,288 fans attended the 16-day tournament, which ran through Aug. 23 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The total broke the previous Cincinnati Open attendance record of 285,571, set in 2025. The new mark represents an increase of 14,717 fans, or about 5.2 percent, from the previous record. The tournament also established new records for single-day, day-session and night-session attendance.
Cincinnati Open attendance sets four records
The 2026 Cincinnati Open recorded its largest single-day crowd on Saturday, Aug. 15. A total of 30,479 fans attended that day, according to tournament officials. (
The Saturday day session also established a record with 17,441 spectators. The night-session record came Thursday, Aug. 13, when 13,533 fans attended.
The four attendance records included:
- Total tournament attendance: 300,288
- Single-day attendance: 30,479 on Aug. 15
- Day-session attendance: 17,441 on Aug. 15
- Night-session attendance: 13,533 on Aug. 13
Warren County Post also reported the four attendance records following the tournament’s conclusion. The local publication said the event attracted more than 300,000 fans during its 16-day run.
The crowds came despite periods of heavy rain during the tournament. Several high-profile players also withdrew, including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, according to WLWT.
Expanded fan experience
Tournament officials credited several new attractions with helping drive Cincinnati Open attendance. Those additions included Community Weekend, Finals Weekend and the indoor Kroger Fan Zone.
The expanded tournament format also gave fans more opportunities to attend matches. The event ran for 16 days at the expanded Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.
The facility recently underwent a $260 million transformation that doubled the size of the campus. Beemok Capital funded 51 percent of the project, while state and local governments provided the remaining 49 percent.
Ohio and Warren County each committed $50 million to the project. Mason contributed another $30 million, according to WLWT.
Tournament officials now expect the larger facility to support additional events beyond the Cincinnati Open. Planned uses include tennis and pickleball events, as well as a college basketball doubleheader featuring Ohio State, Cincinnati, Xavier and Dayton.
The Cincinnati Exchange previously reported on the expanded 2026 tournament and its new fan experiences, including the Kroger Indoor Fan Zone and Cincinnati Open 5K.
Attendance reflects international reach
The record Cincinnati Open attendance also reflected the tournament’s growing geographic reach. Ticket buyers came from all 50 states and 62 countries during the 2026 event.
Fifty-seven percent of fans traveled from outside the Cincinnati area, according to tournament officials. That figure shows that the event attracted a substantial number of visitors beyond the local market.
Warren County Commissioner Dave Young estimated that the tournament generated approximately $200 million in regional economic impact. He said visitors stayed at hotels, ate at local restaurants and spent money at area businesses.
Young also cited the tournament’s growing attendance as evidence supporting the public investment in the Mason facility. The tournament’s owner previously considered moving the event to Charlotte, North Carolina, according to WLWT.
The visitor spending extends beyond Mason. Fans staying in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky also contribute to the broader regional tourism economy.
Cincinnati Open attendance follows historic tournament finals
The record crowd came during a tournament that also produced major milestones on the court.
Coco Gauff defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win the women’s singles championship. The victory marked Gauff’s second Cincinnati Open title.
Arthur Fils defeated American Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 to win the men’s singles championship. Fils captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title with the victory.
The men’s final also marked the first ATP Masters 1000 championship match between two Black players, according to the Warren County Post. Fils became the first Frenchman to win the Cincinnati Open since Guy Forget in 1991.
Gauff and Pegula also made tournament history by playing the first all-American women’s singles final at the Cincinnati Open since 1970. Gauff entered the final after an earlier tournament win in Mason in 2023.
The Cincinnati Exchange previously reported on the historic finals and the two singles champions.
Attendance could continue rising
The record Cincinnati Open attendance gives tournament organizers a new benchmark heading into 2027. The event is scheduled to return to Mason from Aug. 10 through Aug. 22, 2027.
Parking will remain an important consideration as organizers prepare for another potentially larger crowd. Tournament officials purchased additional parking space across the street that accommodated about 1,000 more vehicles during the 2026 tournament.
The growth also gives Mason and Warren County another opportunity to attract visitors from outside the region. With ticket buyers coming from every U.S. state and dozens of countries, the tournament has developed a reach well beyond Greater Cincinnati.
For the 2026 Cincinnati Open, the attendance figure provides a clear measure of the event’s growth. More than 300,000 fans attended, four attendance records fell, and the tournament generated an estimated $200 million in regional economic impact.
The 2027 event will determine whether Cincinnati Open attendance can set another record after reaching the 300,000-fan milestone for the first time.
FAQs
How many fans attended the 2026 Cincinnati Open?
The Cincinnati Open drew 300,288 fans during its 16-day 2026 tournament. The total surpassed the previous record of 285,571 fans set in 2025.
What attendance records did the Cincinnati Open set?
The tournament set four records in 2026. They included total tournament attendance, single-day attendance, day-session attendance and night-session attendance.
What was the largest single-day crowd at the Cincinnati Open?
The largest single-day crowd reached 30,479 fans on Aug. 15. The day-session record reached 17,441 fans on the same day.
Where is the Cincinnati Open held?
The Cincinnati Open is held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. The facility underwent a $260 million transformation that expanded the tournament campus.



