Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport celebrate 125 years of Cincinnati tennis, laud U.S. field

CINCINNATI—Andre Agassi and Lindsay Davenport stepped back in time on Saturday to celebrate 125 years of tennis in Cincinnati, joining Jon Wertheim at the Cincinnati Music Hall to look back on their memories at the Cincy tournament and unveil a pair of scholarships in their name.

The gala dinner featured actors channeling 1899, the first year a tournament took place in Cincinnati, and numerous tributes to champions from before and since the Open Era began.

But the biggest stars of the night were Agassi and Davenport, who treated the crowd to a wide-ranging conversation moderated by Wertheim. Their Hall of Fame careers have overlapped multiple times over the years, from becoming world No. 1 and winning gold at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta to lifting the Cincinnati Open trophy together in 2004.

“This was a tournament you could always watch on TV,” recalled Davenport, who won the first women’s tournament in Cincinnati since 1988. “The guys were playing all throughout the 80s and in the 90s. I remember thinking that would be so cool.

“I remember coming here and loving the facility, hearing about the history of the event and just feeling like it was really special to bring women's tennis here that year.”

In the two decades since then, the Cincinnati Open has become a combined 1000-level event that has seen the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, and Serena Williams all win the title. The tournament is set to grow even larger in the wake of the signing of a 25-year deal and the investment of $260 million into its longtime venue, the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Starting in 2025, the Cincinnati Open will become a two-week event and further cement itself as the premier event heading into the US Open.

Right now, there's a lot of great American women, and there's also a lot of great American men. This is really the time for these players to shine. This is the part of the season where, as an American, you look forward to the most. There’s the US Open, but also having this huge, huge tournament here in the United States. Lindsay Davenport

“I remember this always having just a fantastic crowd turnout,” recalled Agassi, who won a pair of dramatic three-setters over Andy Roddick—who attended Saturday’s gala—and Lleyton Hewitt in 2004. “It was intense, like quality, like everybody wanted to win. Everybody was in a fight when they were here, and everything around the environment led to competition. And I loved the feeling, and love the surface.”

Agassi and Davenport have continued their career symmetry since retiring from the sport in 2006 and 2008, respectively. Agassi was announced as the next Team World Captain at Laver Cup, succeeding former Davis Cup teammate John McEnroe, while Davenport has taken the reigns for the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team.

“I always try and push people towards the Americans,” said Davenport said when Wertheim asked which players she was monitoring in Cincinnati. “Right now, there's a lot of great American women, and there's also a lot of great American men. This is really the time for these players to shine. This is the part of the season where, as an American, you look forward to the most. There’s the US Open, but also having this huge, huge tournament here in the United States.

“They appreciate the fan support, so everybody here: keep that in mind when you're walking around!” she added with a laugh.

The evening concluded with the announcement that the Cincinnati Tennis Foundation had created scholarships in honor of Agassi and Davenport: four winners would share an annual total of $20,000 ($5,000 each) to support after-school nutrition, math and literacy, and tennis instruction.