What I Wore To The Western and Southern Open

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Western and Southern Open, a renowned tennis tournament that brings out the best tennis players in the world.

Also known as the Cincinnati Masters, the Western and Southern Open is the second largest tennis event in the United States after the U.S. Open, and it’s an experience you’ll remember for a lifetime!

Western and Southern Open

The event is held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, which is a gorgeous venue that instantly transports you to another world. There are multiple tennis courts to take in the action, and tons of different food and drink options to keep you energized for a day or night full of tennis!

I had two tickets to the tournament and decided to be Sister of the Year and invite my brother who is a tennis fanatic. We decided to go to the Tuesday evening session, which ended up being a perfect night all around! Not only did we get to witness Roger Federer and Serena Williams play, but the weather was great once the sun went down. Before the sun went down was a different story as I am confident I was experiencing heatstroke and no amount of water I chugged was doing any justice. I thought I was going to throw in the towel but once we settled into our seats at Center Court and I found a glorious Western and Southern fan to aggressively wave on myself I did a complete 180.

If you have the choice, I would definitely choose to attend a nighttime session.

Seeing the players under the lights is just magical and there’s a nice energy in the air. We watched Roger Federer play first and Serena Williams was up right after his match. It was amazing seeing two tennis legends back to back. It was also really inspiring watching Serena play after the health issues she’s faced before and after giving birth. I also spotted her husband in the crowd and it was so cute watching him cheer her on. Unfortunately, she was defeated after a tough match, but it was great to watch.

After the matches at Center Court ended we went to the adjacent court where two males were having a very intriguing match that my brother was itching to watch. I think the match lasted until midnight, so it’s safe to say we got to take in a lot of tennis from 5-12!

I’d say the evening session is a bit dressier than the daytime one.

Of course, you see everything, especially since it’s summer and brutally hot. Luckily there are still some options if you want to beat the heat and still look stylish!

If you want to wear a print, I’d say gingham is the most classic option you can wear to a tennis match. It’s preppy, timeless and makes you look effortlessly put together. I had searched the internet high and low for a dress and my mom (who also enjoys helping me nail down the perfect outfit) ended up finding this gorgeous Sam Edelman gingham dress! It’s lightweight, minimal but still looks classy and not too revealing.

I always prefer wearing dresses to warm weather events.

They feel a lot more breathable than shorts or a skirt. Honestly, I loved this dress because I didn’t feel too dressy or flashy. Sure, you can easily make this dress a lot more formal, but it’s all about how you accessorize it. Also, I opted for a shorter block heel sandal for comfort and a little height, simple stud earrings, and my Strathberry Nano Tote.

I didn’t get a ton of great pictures at the actual tennis tournament because there was so much tennis to take in so I recreated this outfit and showed how you can dress it up for something a bit fancier. I switched out stud earrings for these statement pearl beauties and switched out the low block heels for some high ankle strap sandals.

I’m sad that the Western and Southern Open came and went so quickly, but I made so many good memories this year and am already looking forward to next year!