USTA Looking for a Nine-Figure Fee as ATP Tour Sanction for the Cincinnati Masters 1000

The Western & Southern Open, also known as the Cincinnati Masters, is one of the premier tournaments on the tennis calendar. Played on the hard courts, it is home to some of the greatest tennis players. Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer, has won the tournament a record seven times.

Every year, thousands of spectators throng the stadiums to watch the world’s best stars in action at this tournament. It is the second-largest summer tennis event in the United States, after the US Open. The tournament was first held in 1899. Further, the Western & Southern Open is the oldest tennis tournament in the U.S. played in its original city, Cincinnati.

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USTA looking to sell ATP Tour sanction for the Cincinnati Masters

The United States Tennis Association, which owns 93.8% of the Western & Southern Open, is looking to sell its ATP Tour tournament sanction for this event. The tournament sanction gives the owner claim to a spot on the ATP Tour’s tournament calendar. Further, the USTA is demanding a nine-figure fee for this.

Last year, IMG had acquired the Mutua Madrid Open for a fee in the range of US$394-450M. IMG had acquired both the ATP as well as the WTA tournament sanctions for the Mutua Madrid Open. However, in the case of the Cincinnati Masters, the USTA is only looking to sell the ATP sanction. Moreover, the Western & Southern Open is only one of the few tournaments whose ATP and WTA sanctions are different.

How did the tournament pan out in 2021?

Last year’s event was operated at full spectator capacity, as the tournament made a return to Ohio for the first time since 2019. The ‘Big Three’ were absent from the tournament last year. While Djokovic hadn’t recovered from the taxing season, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were sidelined due to their respective injuries.

The next-gen stars set the tone in the 2021 Cincinnati Masters. Daniil Medvedev was the top seed. However, he lost in the semifinals to his fellow countryman, Andrey Rublev. In the bottom half of the draw, Alexander Zverev overcame some tough battles to set up a clash with Rublev in the finals. Eventually, it was the German who prevailed, defeating Rublev in straight sets in the summit clash.

In the women’s section, Williams sisters were missing from the tournament owing to their respective injuries. Ashleigh Barty was the top seed, followed by Naomi Osaka. The Australian continued her stupendous form as she won the title without dropping a set.

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The 2022 Cincinnati Masters will be held between August 14-21, 2022. The tournament will end a week before the US Open.