The 2026 Cincinnati Open is days away from bringing world-class tennis back to Mason, and tournament officials say this year is all about the fan experience.Play begins Tuesday, Aug. 11, at Lindner Family Tennis Center, but the tournament kicks off this weekend, Aug. 8-9, with the first-ever Community Weekend, designed to make the Cincinnati Open more welcoming and accessible to all fans.Watch: First look: Cincinnati Open 2026 at Lindner Family Tennis Center Cincinnati open to bring Williams sisters, hometown wild cards, and first ever Community Weekend to Mason"Huge. It's huge. It's great to have Venus and Serena back here playing," Tournament Director Bob Moran said.Former Mason standout and 2022 Ohio State champion Vignesh Gogineni will join the Williams sisters as a wildcard, making his pro debut back in his hometown."I've been playing tennis since I was maybe four or five years oldbeen coming to this tournament since I was maybe six and this is where I fell in love with the sport," Gogineni said.With 175 international partners, 80 local musicians and endless food options, Moran said this year builds on last year's $260 million expansion that drew record crowds."Last year, we were really focused on finishing off the project, but when we see a weekend like that on a Saturday and Sunday, we want to take advantage of what that means to us and being able to do a lot of fun things where families can come out kids can come out our local community can come out and you know experience everything that the Cincinnati Open is all about," Moran said.This year, organizers plan to welcome more than 300,000 people, bringing an international spotlight and a major economic boost to Greater Cincinnati."And so the fans start to see that, the fans start to experience that, and we really want people when they're coming to Cincinnati to experience Cincinnati, experience Mason experience Warren County," Moran said.Community Weekend: Aug. 8-9Community Weekend hopes to make the Cincinnati Open more welcoming and accessible to all, inviting new fans to discover the tournament through experiences that extend beyond tennis, from special events to community-driven programming for the first time this year!Saturday, Aug. 8 Kids Day (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)Kids Day runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features on-court activations and interactive activities across the grounds, including a site-wide scavenger hunt, face painters, caricature artists, mascots and characters. Live music and entertainment will be programmed on the stage all day, with all food and beverage vendors open and partners activated. Players will practice across the site's 31 courts, and the wheelchair and para-standing tournament begins.The evening caps off with the Red Bull BassLine exhibition from 7 to 10 p.m., Red Bull's first BassLine event in the United States. Six current and former WTA players will compete in an exhibition-style event in an energizing, loud and interactive environment featuring a live, on-court DJ.Sunday, Aug. 9 All Access SundayThe day begins with the Cincinnati Open 5K, presented by Buckeye Running Co., from 8 to 10 a.m. The course runs in and around the Cincinnati Open grounds. Participants receive an exclusive medal and t-shirt, a grounds pass for Sunday and access to an after party featuring live music, complimentary Playa Bowls and coffee. Male and female race winners each receive 2 tickets to the 2026 Cincinnati Open finals.All Access Sunday runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features player autographs, meet and greets and behind-the-scenes access. All fans can take a Center Court photo from noon to 3:30 p.m., with a live DJ on court. Kids' on-court activations and interactive activities continue, including face painters, caricature artists and balloon artists. Live music and entertainment will be programmed on the stage all day, with all food and beverage vendors open. Players will practice across the site's 31 courts, and the wheelchair and para-standing tournament, ACEing Autism and adaptive tennis clinics will also take place.About the Cincinnati OpenFounded in 1899, the Cincinnati Open is the second-oldest tennis tournament in the United States, behind only the U.S. Open, and the longest-running tournament still held in its city of origin. The 2026 edition marks its 127th year.It is a 1000-level WTA and ATP tournament, one tier below the four Grand Slams, making it the highest class of tournament on tour. It is one of only 5 events in the world featuring men's and women's top-tier tournaments at the same time and venue, alongside Madrid, Rome, Miami and Indian Wells. Players named it the 1000-level WTA and ATP Tournament of the Year in 2025.Food and drinksThe tournament's signature Dobel Tequila Ace Paloma returns, and Rhinegeist Brewery joins as the official local craft beer with its own Cincy Light cans. Additional drink options include the gin-based sparkling Long Drink, malt-based Fresca Hard cocktail, iced tea Sun Cruiser cocktail, Kim Crawford wine and Boston Beer. Talenti joins as the official gelato of the Cincinnati Open and will provide samples in the Pavilion.13 local restaurants in the Commons include Alfio's, Bibibop, Bru Brothers Coffee, Chicken Salad Chick, Graeter's Ice Cream, Greenwich Pita (new), Jeff Ruby's, LaRosa's, Lobsta Bakes of Maine, Mazunte, Playa Bowls, Skyline and Verde. Food trucks and carts include Fifty West, Ben's Pretzels, Fusako and Twisted Greek.ShoppingThe 18,000-square-foot Cincinnati Open Shop carries tournament attire from brands including Peter Millar and lululemon. Last year's top sellers included hats (25,000 sold), jumbo tennis balls (6,000) and tournament towels (3,000). New this year, fans can purchase Cincinnati Open apparel and merchandise year-round online at shop.cincinnatiopen.com.Business and hospitalityThe tournament's 6 Cornerstone Partners are Western Southern Financial Group, Credit One Bank, Procter Gamble, Great American Insurance Group, Fifth Third and Kroger. Twelve new partners have joined this year: Rhinegeist, Mayker, Kim Crawford, Talenti, Long Drink, Boston Beer, Cayman Islands, Fresca Hard, National Energy Control, The James Cancer Hospital, EQT and New Balance.Fans can choose from 15 premium seating options ranging from private suites to lounges and clubs, each with VIP treatment and exclusive culinary offerings. Exclusive options include ultra-premium Garden Suites, indoor box seats in the 1899 Club and climate-controlled baseline seats. A new Gillette Barber Shop and PG Spa will offer players shaves, haircuts and facials.More special events The Ellesse Junior Championships will showcase U18 boys and girls during Finals Weekend. Credit One Bank presents the new Commentary Corner for live discussions with legends. Additional events include Tampax Ladies' Day, a wheelchair tennis exhibition, ACEing Autism clinics and USTA Adult tournaments. Kids 12 and under are 50% off for Sessions 1 and 2 on Aug. 11-12.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less