The Cincinnati Open became the first tournament to donate $1M.
The Cincinnati Open is the second oldest tournament in the USA after the US Open, and quite a special event. Not only does it care a lot about its players –so much that it is most professional players’ favourite tournament– but it is also famous for donating its profits to charity. Paul Flory, who became the head of the tournament in 1975, started donating to the Cincinnati children’s hospital when he took over the direction of the competition. This money has financed the skin and hearing treatments of over 11,000 patients as well as programmes for childhood cancer survivors. In 1985, the Cincinnati Open became the first ever tournament in the world to reach the mark of $1M donated to a single cause. The tournament, which now has four stadiums with stands –only Grand Slam tournaments have better facilities, does not only support the children’s hospital anymore. It also gives funds to the University of Cincinnati cancer department and to Tennis for City Youth, a programme that gives affordable tennis classes to local kids. Paul Flory died in 2013, aged 90, but his heritage remains; the Cincinnati Open has now donated over $10M.
