The Cincinnati Open has never merely been a stop on the tennis calendar. It has been a witness to the sport’s evolution. From wooden rackets and club tennis at the turn of the 20th century to the modern era of Masters 1000 battles, packed stadiums and global television audiences, Cincinnati has repeatedly reinvented itself without losing its connection to the past.
That history becomes particularly relevant in 2026, when the tournament enters its 127th year with another chapter of the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry at its centre. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are scheduled to meet in the men’s singles final on August 18, while Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini are among the leading names in the women’s draw. The tournament itself runs through August 23, with the 2026 edition featuring expanded 96-player men’s and women’s singles fields.
That means the 2026 champions cannot yet be added to the historical winners list as of August 18. The record books remain open for another few days. And that is precisely what makes Cincinnati special. A tournament older than most American sporting institutions. Founded in 1899, the Cincinnati Open is the longest-running professional tennis tournament still played in its city of origin. Its first champions were Nat Emerson in the men’s singles and Myrtle McAteer in the women’s singles. In fact, the inaugural tournament predates the World Series, the Indianapolis 500, the Masters and the Super Bowl.
The event has moved through several venues and names over the decades. It eventually settled at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason in 1979. After decades under the Western & Southern Open name, the tournament returned to its historic Cincinnati Open identity in 2024.
Yet the most remarkable feature of its history is the names that have passed through its champions list. The men’s roll of honour reads like a condensed history of tennis. The early decades were dominated by players such as Raymond D. Little, Beals Wright, Robert LeRoy, Richard Palmer and George Lott. The tournament survived interruptions caused by the First World War, economic difficulties during the Great Depression and changes in the structure of professional tennis.
The post-war period brought names such as Tony Trabert, Marty Riessen and Ken Rosewall before the tournament entered the era of television, Open tennis and global stars. The 1970s and 1980s produced some of the biggest names in the sport. Jimmy Connors won in 1972, Ilie Nastase followed in 1973, while John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg all became Cincinnati champions.
Then came the Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer years. Federer remains one of the defining champions in Cincinnati history, winning seven men’s singles titles between 2005 and 2015. His success helped establish Cincinnati as one of the most important hard-court tournaments ahead of the US Open. Novak Djokovic has also left an enormous mark, winning three titles, including his memorable 2023 triumph over Carlos Alcaraz.
Rafael Nadal won in 2013, while Andy Murray lifted the trophy in 2008 and 2011. The more recent history has belonged to a new generation. Alexander Zverev won in 2021, Borna Coric in 2022, Djokovic in 2023, Jannik Sinner in 2024 and Carlos Alcaraz in 2025. Alcaraz’s 2025 victory was particularly significant because he defeated Sinner in the final after Sinner was forced to retire due to illness after only five games.
The Spaniard became the third Spanish men’s champion in Cincinnati history, following Carlos Moya and Nadal. Now, in 2026, Sinner has another chance to reclaim the trophy. The official tournament schedule lists world No. 1 Sinner against world No. 3 Alcaraz in the men’s final, adding another chapter to a rivalry that has become central to the sport’s future.
The women’s champions list is equally rich. Myrtle McAteer won the inaugural title in 1899 and returned to win again in 1900 and 1904. May Sutton dominated the early years, while players including Alice Marble, Pauline Betz, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong and Virginia Wade later carried the tournament through different eras. There were also long periods when the women’s event was not held. The tournament disappeared from the calendar several times before returning as a major fixture of the modern women’s tour.
The modern era has produced a particularly impressive list of champions. Lindsay Davenport won in 2004, followed by Patty Schnyder, Vera Zvonareva, Anna Chakvetadze, Nadia Petrova, Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams. Serena’s back-to-back victories in 2014 and 2015 remain among the most memorable chapters of the tournament’s recent history.
Karolina Pliskova followed in 2016, Garbine Muguruza in 2017 and Kiki Bertens in 2018. Madison Keys won in 2019, Azarenka returned to the winners’ circle in 2020 and Ashleigh Barty claimed the title in 2021. The next two years belonged to Caroline Garcia and Coco Gauff. Gauff’s 2023 triumph was her first WTA 1000 title and became an important milestone in her emergence as one of American tennis’s leading stars.
Aryna Sabalenka won in 2024, before Iga Swiatek finally captured the title in 2025. Swiatek defeated Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 to claim her first Cincinnati crown and her 11th WTA 1000 title. The women’s tournament therefore enters 2026 with another opportunity to add a new name to a remarkably diverse list of champions.
What makes 2026 different?
Cincinnati is no longer simply resting on its history. Following a $260 million transformation, the tournament has doubled its footprint and expanded to 96-player singles fields. In 2025, it drew a record 285,571 fans and was named the ATP and WTA 1000-level Tournament of the Year. The 2026 edition has also expanded the fan experience, with a new indoor fan zone, additional tournament days, player practices, family activities and more than 80 live musical performances.
It is an interesting evolution for a tournament whose first champions received Rookwood Pottery prizes rather than the modern trophies associated with Masters 1000 tennis. The names may have changed. The courts may have changed. The money, technology, audience and athletic standards have certainly changed. But the central idea has survived. Since 1899, Cincinnati has remained a place where champions are made and legacies are extended.
And on August 18, 2026, as Sinner and Alcaraz prepare to add another chapter to the men’s record, Cincinnati once again finds itself doing what it has done for more than a century: standing between tennis history and the next name destined to be written into it.
