“We are ushering in a new era at the Cincinnati Open, and the complete transformation of our campus will create an unparalleled experience for our fans and players,” said Bob Maron, CEO of Beemok Sports & Entertainment which owns the Cincinnati Open, last year ahead of launcing a $260 million transformation project. Heading into this season’s hard court extravaganza, the organizers took pride in revealing the multiple additions they have made to the venue – more courts, open space to explore as the area has been doubled up to 40 acres. Not to mention the renovation of the locker rooms, Performance Center and whatnot. Still, something seems to be lacking, and Aryna Sabalenka just pointed it out.

The world No.1 and defending Cincinnati champion started her campaign on a winning note on Saturday. She comfortably beat Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 and moved into the next round. However, the Belarusian couldn’t help but make an honest confession about her off court experience. When asked to comment on the venue’s million-dollar overhaul, she initially praised the changes. “Oh my god! The first moment I came here I was like, ‘Where Am I?’ It’s like completely different tournament. It’s impressive job done. Just wow. Everything is so confusing. Little by little, I am getting used to it.”

But then came the disappointment. Sabalenka pointed out that the dining room was cramped, “The only request, we need to make sure that the dining room is a bit bigger. Because it’s so many people and it’s just so little tables.” Sending her request to the organizers, she simply urged, “Please next year make sure there’s more space in the dining room. Everyone likes to eat, everyone likes to spend time there. So please, we need bigger room.”

Sabalenka’s not the only WTA star who’s having trouble adjusting to the venue following the overhaul. Even World No.1 in doubles, Taylor Townsend has shared a similar sentiment recently. Her issue, however, wasn’t due to the lack of space – but the renovated atmosphere itself.

When asked to share views on the million-dollar upgrade in Cincinnati, Townsend revealed, “It is Chef Kiss. Like I mean honestly. The amount of times that I’ve gotten lost is ridiculous but I’m getting better. Like I’m finding the ways to get from point A to point B more directly.” However, she did mention that the revamped event looks “beautiful”. “It is so well thought out. Um they’ve considered all of the things that we need and have really given.”

Unfortunately, there are still several other players who are not fully satisfied with the experience. Take for example Townsend’s compatriot and World No.4 Taylor Fritz.

Taylor Fritz sheds light on inevitable Cincinnati Open parking issue

While Aryna Sabalenka is worried over the lack of space in dining room, Taylor Fritz wants more area for parking. For the uninitiated, there was a brief clip shared online by German WTA star Eva Lys. In that, she showed various vehicles parked in a non-systematic way. There was no adequate distance between the cars.

Calling out a specific car owner, Lys urged them saying, “Car #35,  get your s— together.” Interestingly, Fritz later came up with a clarification over this situation, while trying to defend himself. Although his parking skills weren’t questioned by anyone, the American took it upon himself somehow.

But what he mentioned was quite important to raise alarm regarding the player experience. He revealed, “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”,

Now, what makes Fritz’s revelation noteworthy is that the event has undergone a massive $260 million overhaul in last year. But it seems all the aspects haven’t been taken care of. In this case, one can say the parking space allotted at the hotel may still not be enough. It will be intriguing to see if the organizers take notice of this entire issue to provide a speedy solution. What are your thoughts on the Cincinnati Open’s overall player experience? Let us know in the comments below.