MASON — Every year, the best professional tennis players in the world flock to the greater Cincinnati area to compete for the Cincinnati Open's Rookwood Cup. In the process, many of them get a taste of the Southwestern Ohio experience.
Russian U.S. Open champion Danil Medvedev became a diehard Reds fan during his time in Cincinnati. Italy's Flavio Cobolli, a finalist at this year's French Open, did the sword pull at Aug. 11's FC Cincinnati game at TQL Stadium. Coco Gauff served Graeter's Ice Cream to fans last year, and this year praised the city's small-town nature.
"Cincinnati's a bigger city, but it still has a hometown kind of feel when you go, especially where we are now in Mason," Gauff said in her pre-tournament press conference. "Where
there doesn't seem like there's a lot going on, but if you dig a little bit, there's stuff going on."
A handful of athletes associate themselves with staples of Cincinnati culture every August. But beyond the photo ops, how are tennis players experiencing the city, and where do they go? The Enquirer was able to find out in the opening days of the 2026 Cincinnati Open.
Italian restaurant capitalizes on Cincinnati Open
Food stops are a popular staple amongst tennis players at the Open, with locals having several places in mind for other players on tour. Peyton Stearns, a Cincinnati native, has suggested places like Tony's Steakhouse and Two Cities Pizza for her competitors. Caty McNally, who is from Madeira, says that other WTA players have asked her for coffee shop recommendations.
One Montgomery and Hyde Park-based Italian restaurant, Forno Osteria & Bar, had tennis players dining in every day during last year's tournament, according to restaurant director of operations Carley Coleman. Amongst the players who made appearances last year, Coleman says, were 2025 Cincinnati Open finalists Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Jasmine Paolini. This year so far, Filipina star Alex Eala is amongst the players who showed up to eat.
But the camaraderie between Forno and tennis players goes just beyond meals. According to Coleman, many tennis players have a friendly relationship with Forno owner Cristian Piesoto, who has gone out of his way to introduce himself and give his phone number to players. Italian players would then specifically start seeking Forno out, and even text Piesoto that his restaurant's food "tastes just like home."
Coleman also says that two players gave Forno servers tickets to their matches. She praised the athletes for not acting "entitled" despite many of them being well-known, booking reservations well ahead of time and being complimentary of restaurant service.
"For us Cincinnatians, it's just a sense of pride," said Coleman of the Cincinnati Open's presence at Forno. She says the restaurant's team has been talking about the tournament since as early as mid-July. "Look at all these really talented people and just really overall genuinely wonderful human beings (supporting us), and the the attention, hype and excitement that it brings to the community."
The constant presence of professional athletes at Forno hasn't proven to be a problem. Coleman says that Forno's "elevated service" has created a culture where other guests resort to whispering about the tennis players beside them, rather than going up to them for photos or autographs.
However, longtime Forno customer and Italian Peggy Lewin does have one request: to meet Paolini and arrange a pizza night for her. Lewin, a superfan of the Italian WTA star, planned with Coleman for months on how to arrange this event. She'll have to wait another year for to make it happen, though, as Paolini withdrew from this year's Cincinnati Open with an injury.
"It's a sense of pride to try to get her to come and have pizza and enjoy the community," Lewin said. "She's just a standout, and we just want to give back because we love watching her pay tennis."
Other ways tennis players are experiencing Cincinnati
Restaurants are not the only Cincinnati businesses experiencing athlete traffic during the Cincinnati Open. Gauff proved that when she stayed right next to Great American Ball Park during last year's tournament, and attended a fair at The Banks during an off day.
"There was a little fair there going on last year, and I went to that, and that was really nice," Gauff said of The Banks. "And they have mini golf there, so I like that area."
Meanwhile, newly-minted National Bank Open champion Ben Shelton said his favorite place in the Cincinnati area was nearby amusement park King's Island, which he grew up visiting.
A Cincinnati Open tournament organizer told The Enquirer that Cadillac has provided players with personal cars for the competition, something that is not always the norm at every ATP or WTA event. But even with this perk, many players are homebodies, preferring to stay at the tennis center and their own lodging rather than exploring the area.
Some of those players include WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and ATP No. 9 Taylor Fritz. Sabalenka, who is staying in a rental house rather than a hotel for the first time in Cincinnati this year, says she appreciates surrounding where she lives. Defending champion Iga Świątek enjoys visiting a friend's house in the area, which has a pool.
The Lindner Family Tennis Center, which underwent a $260 million renovation before the 2025 Cincinnati Open, certainly contributes to players' Cincinnati experience. Several businesses benefit from that, including Playa Bowls, which made over 13,000 bowls from serving fans and catering to players last year.
"The ugrades to the site have been amazing," Fritz said.
Cincinnati is just another two-week stop on the yearlong, worldwide tour of WTA and ATP players. But for those two weeks, they experience a bit of what it's like to live as an average Cincinnati native.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Italian restaurant a top spot for tennis stars during Cincinnati Open
