One of the major tennis events in the world will now bear the name of one of the world’s strongest financial services groups.
Tennis Masters Cincinnati and Western & Southern Financial Group have entered into an agreement beginning with the 2002 tournament, to be held August 1-11 in Mason, Ohio.
The official name of the tournament will now be the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.
‘This is an historic day for the tournament, for the sport of tennis, and for Cincinnati,’ said tennis chairman Paul M. Flory. ‘We are very proud to have joined forces with Western & Southern Financial Group. Our tournament is one of only nine Tennis Masters Series events in the world and Western & Southern is one of 10 Standard & Poor’s AAA-rated insurance groups in the world. Western & Southern is recognized throughout its industry for its outstanding performance, and our tournament, which has been a factor in the tennis world for more than 100 years, is also one of the world’s finest. Naturally, we are excited about the power of this marriage.’
Each summer since 1899, the world’s best players have descended on Cincinnati to capture one of the oldest and most prestigious titles in tennis. On August 11, 2002, one player will win a title he will share with the likes of Bill Tilden, Bobby Riggs, Tony Trabert, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe.
John Barrett, chairman of Western & Southern Financial Group, said, ‘When we were asked to help secure the future of this world-class event so that it would continue to be played in Cincinnati, we thought it made a lot of sense for the people of Cincinnati and for our Enterprise. It is the first significant national sponsorship we have undertaken, and it took quite a special tournament to bring us to this point. We are delighted with our association and look forward to years of good tennis and good sportsmanship in our hometown – which is truly the best city in America.’
Western & Southern Financial Group is a fast-growing family of financial services companies that provides financial products and services for individuals and institutions throughout the United States. The group’s anchor company, The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, was founded in Cincinnati in 1888, 11 years before the start of tournament tennis in Cincinnati.
As a Tennis Masters Series event, the ‘Western & Southern Financial Masters’ is one of only 13 required events in the world of tennis. Players are compelled to play in the four Grand Slams and the nine Tennis Masters Series events and cannot make up for skipping one of those tournaments by playing in a lesser tournament, even if they are injured. The event has a 64-man draw, and a total purse of $2,950,000.
‘Cincinnati has long been a jewel among the tournaments on the worldwide ATP tennis circuit,’ said ATP Chief Executive Officer Mark Miles. ‘Western & Southern Financial Group has chosen to work with a first-class organization in Cincinnati, a group with deep historical roots in the game and a clear vision for the future.’
‘On behalf of the entire Tennis Masters Series, I’m very pleased to welcome Western & Southern Financial Group to our family,’ said Mark Webster, Managing Director of Tennis Properties Limited (TPL), the commercial arm of the nine Tennis Masters Series events. ‘It is truly great for tennis to have such an outstanding company partner with an event that has endured and grown the way Cincinnati has.’
The 2002 Western & Southern Financial Masters will be held August 1-11 in Mason, Ohio. For information or to order tickets, contact the tournament office at 513-651-0303. Fans may visit the tournament’s Web site (www.masters-series.com) for answers to many of their questions, or email the tournament at info@cincytennis.com.
For more details contact:
Tennis Properties Limited
Jonathan Friend
Tel: +44 208 392 4722
Fax: +44 208 392 4725
E mail: jonathan.friend@tennisproperties.com