In case you missed it, the Cincinnati Open suffered multiple rain delays on Tuesday night before play was ultimately suspended for the night. On the two main courts, the matches were at a critical stage. Alexander Zverev was serving for the match against Brandon Nakashima. Jessica Pegula had just won the second set, leveling her match with Magda Linette.
Lightning illuminates the sky as rain falls during the Cincinnati Open.
Play was suspended due to inclement weather.
📷 for @usatodaysports pic.twitter.com/JEWReCCxK4— Doster (@aarondoster) August 13, 2025
We are having a lot of weather in Cincinnati! pic.twitter.com/4TjdGVVqMC
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 13, 2025
Weather is a factor in professional tennis especially in the US during the peak of summer. However, when the Cincinnati Open underwent significant renovations in the past year, spending $260 million in upgrades, it is hard to understand why someone did not think about building a roof or two. It did not need to be a fancy retractable roof, but some sort of covering to minimize stoppage of play for rain would work.
I’ve always loved this covered court in Adelaide 🇦🇺 Players are shaded, fans get some shade & yet the air comes thru
Just sayin 😅 pic.twitter.com/jDfFIjysLf— Amy Lundy Dahl (@AmyLundyDahl) August 13, 2025
The Cincinnati Open has debuted $260 million in campus-wide upgrades.
• New suites
• New practice courts
• Fan watch party plaza
• Two-story player center
• 2,000-seat sunken court
• 6 pickleball, 2 padel courts pic.twitter.com/ePWXsbZ63g— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 12, 2025
On the Tennis Channel, Madison Keys calls the newly revamped Cincinnati Open, the “Disneyland of tennis.” I am sure it is nice. Fans have been pouring in for tennis, no pun intended. On Tuesday, they might have preferred one of those amenities to be a roof.
I suppose the rain delay builds the argument that having a 12-day Cincinnati Open makes sense. There is ample time to make up matches with such a lengthy tournament.
How Could The Cincinnati Open Overlook Building A Roof?
Tennis is becoming a more lucrative business, and the Cincinnati Open was under stiff competition to keep the longest-running tournament intact. There was competition from other cities, like Charlotte, to take over this week in the tennis schedule.
While it is a fact that other 500 and 1000-level hardcourt tournaments held in the United States do not have covered courts (Indian Wells, Miami, and Washington, DC), none of those facilities has had this amount of money recently invested in them. For perspective, the Miami Open builds a temporary court using the Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium.
Heading to the #Cincinnati Open on Wednesday for the Round of 16? Expect “cooler” temperatures into the middle 80s and the chance for some scattered afternoon showers and storms to impact the Mason area. 🎾⛈ @Local12 pic.twitter.com/DUbRfjsHcl
— John Gumm (@JohnGumm) August 13, 2025
Hopefully, the rain is gone today and play can resume so that Cincinnati Open officials do not have to think about whether they should have added a roof or two in the midst of the beautiful renovations.
