Western & Southern Open Tournament Director
Andre Silva Stepping Down
CINCINNATI (June 10, 2020) – CEO and Tournament Director Andre Silva will be leaving the Western & Southern Open this month after accepting a position outside of tennis.
“Andre has been a great leader for our organization and that has been particularly evident in the past few weeks as he delayed his departure to work through the many possible scenarios for our 2020 tournament with us and our partners,” said Katie Haas, Chief Operating Officer of the Western & Southern Open. “We wish him the best for his future and know he will remain among our biggest supporters.”
Silva joined the Western & Southern Open in 2016 from the player representation agency TEAM8. Prior to that, he spent 14 years at the ATP, with roles that included Chief Player Officer and Tournament Director of the ATP Tour Finals in London.
“This was a very difficult decision and it is certainly with mixed emotions that I am leaving the sport of tennis to pursue this new opportunity,” Silva said. “I would like to thank the leadership of the USTA and all our partners locally, in particular at Western & Southern, for their support during my time here. In addition, I am grateful to the tournament staff and volunteers for all their passionate work on this event and I am eager to see the tradition of excellence continue here in Cincinnati.”
An ATP Masters 1000 and WTA Premier 5 tournament, the Western & Southern Open is scheduled to take place Aug. 15-23 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. Both tours have suspended play since March 12 due to COVID-19. The Western & Southern Open is working with the USTA, the ATP Tour and WTA to explore a number of scenarios to hold the tournament in August while prioritizing the health and safety of players, fans, volunteers and staff. An announcement regarding the status of this year’s tournament is expected by mid-June.
J. Wayne Richmond, USTA Managing Director - Major Events, will serve as Interim CEO & Tournament Director for 2020. Following the conclusion of this year’s event, the USTA will conduct a search for a new tournament director.
About the Western & Southern Open
The Western & Southern Open takes place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, 20 miles north of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. The tournament is one of the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 events on the men's tour and a Premier 5 event for the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). The W&S Open is the largest annual summer sporting event in the US Midwest, hosting fans from all 50 states and more than 35 countries with more than 50 million global viewers in more than 160 countries. The tournament is also one of the last stops on the US Open Series before the US Open in New York. Since 1974, the tournament has contributed more than $10 million to various beneficiaries including Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the Barrett Cancer Center and Tennis for City Youth. For more information, visit www.wsopen.com.
About the US Open Series
Entering its 17th season in 2020, the world's best players on the WTA and ATP Tour are coming together for the US Open Series. Linking eight summer WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open, the US Open Series serves as a true “regular season” of summer tennis in North America. Featuring a cohesive schedule, the Series centralizes the way tennis is viewed in North America, across multiple television and digital platforms. Fans will see today's top champions go head-to-head with tomorrow's emerging stars, as storylines develop throughout the summer season. Each tournament also engages its local community with a variety of outreach initiatives, including grass-roots youth tennis clinics and activities.
About the WTA
Founded by Billie Jean King in 1973 on the principle of equal opportunity for women in sports, the WTA is the global leader in women’s professional sport with more than 1,650 players representing 84 nations competing for a record $180 million in prize money. In 2019, the WTA was watched by a record breaking global audience of 700 million. The 2019 WTA competitive season includes 53 events and four Grand Slams in 28 countries and regions. The season culminates with the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, offering a $14 million total prize purse and honoring the season’s top singles and doubles players. Further information on the WTA can be found at www.wtatennis.com.
About the ATP
The ATP is the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuits - the ATP Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. With 64 tournaments in 30 countries, the ATP Tour showcases the finest male athletes competing in the world’s most exciting venues. From Australia to Europe and the Americas to Asia, the stars of the 2020 ATP Tour will battle for prestigious titles and FedEx ATP Rankings points at ATP Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, as well as Grand Slams (non ATP events). The 2020 season launched with the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia and will culminate with only the world’s top 8 qualified singles players and doubles teams competing for the last title of the season at the Nitto ATP Finals in November. Held at The O2 in London, the event will officially crown the 2020 ATP Tour No. 1. For more information, please visit www.ATPTour.com.