In Cincinnati, for all the upgrades that promise luxury, one persistent problem refuses to go away. It irritated Ben Shelton last year and has now resurfaced for German WTA star Eva Lys. But this time, it’s Taylor Fritz stepping in to explain the why behind. 

Last year, Ben Shelton called a fellow player for wrong-parking at a Cincinnati hotel a “disgrace”, “outrageous”, even going as far as to say that they shouldn’t have a license. Fast forward through an 11-month, $260 million overhaul, and you’d think smaller hassles like parking would be fixed. Yet this week, German WTA player Eva Lys reignited the debate with an Instagram story from the hotel lot, captioned “@cincytennis is exposing the bad drivers lol”.  

“I know some people have been posting parking skills of tennis players. And I am gonna just keep going because what the hell is this guys?” she began, flipping the camera to show the opposite view of a black Escapade parked off-center in its spot, hugging one side of the yellow line and leaving noticeably more space on the other side — a positioning that could make it tight for a car next to it. She called “Car #35” to “get your s— together.” @TheTennisLetter eventually shared Lys’ clip on X. And next thing we know, Fritz responds in defense. According to him, the problem of cars not being parked properly in the hotel area is not just about space constraints, but the cars themselves! 

“To be fair we all have MASSIVE Escalades and the hotel parking spots are insanely small…. I spend 10 min last night trying to get into a spot”, he responded to the clip. The defensive stance made him look guilty in the eyes of netizens. But he did clarify: “Wasn’t me, but my park wasn’t pretty either.” The root boils down to a mismatch: Players are provided with massive Escalades for convenience, and ironically, those very vehicles become a logistical headache in cramped hotel lots built without their dimensions in mind. However, it still points to how even a $260 million development plan fell short.

The Cincinnati Open’s $260 million plan might not have been enough

The Lindner Family Tennis Center now boasts a sprawling 40-acre campus where the once utilitarian spaces for players have been transformed into high-end retreats. What used to be a cluster of trailers in the parking lot has been replaced by The Clubhouse, a 56,000-square-foot hub featuring a restaurant, coffee bar, indoor and outdoor lounges, and an expansive recovery area. Two padel courts, over 72,000 square feet of synthetic turf, and reimagined locker rooms spread across two floors give players the space and comfort they once lacked. Even the gym experience has been elevated, with a nutrition bar and seamless access via a walking bridge from The Clubhouse.

For fans, the expansion means more tennis and closer proximity to the action. The site now features 31 outdoor courts, including a new block of 10 practice courts and the 2,300-seat Champions Court, the first stop for thousands of spectators entering through the South gate. “The practice courts, it’s important for me to give access so fans can see it. They can feel it,” said Tournament Director Bob Moran. “They don’t have to be on Centre Court watching a match… they can be on a practice court watching their favourite player in the world.” The grounds have also been landscaped like a living postcard, with 46,000 annuals, 30,000 perennials, and 1,300 locally grown trees, all cultivated specifically for the event.

From the new concrete walkways that soften the summer heat to the meticulous architectural touches on Stadium Court, the $260 million transformation has been designed to impress at first glance and endure in memory. “As soon as you walk in the gates, you notice immediately that it’s a completely different tournament and that there’s a brand new Cincinnati Open with a transformed campus,” COO Jansen Dell said. “And then after… I want them to leave knowing that everything is different, but at the end of the day, it’s still the same Cincinnati Open they’ve loved for 126 years.” It’s bigger, sleeker, and more fan-focused than ever — and only if they fix the parking, too, everything could come together even better.