Cincinnati Open disrupted by electricity failure
The 2025 Cincinnati Open tennis tournament experienced an unexpected interruption on August 11, as a power outage halted play on Center Court. The outage, caused by an on-site electrical failure, prompted Duke Energy to dispatch crews to the Lindner Family Tennis Center area.
The power outage occurred around 5:13 p.m., forcing a suspension of all play for about 75 minutes, starting shortly after 5:25 p.m. Matches involving Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Sonego, as well as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Benjamin Bonzi, were affected. Play resumed shortly before 6:40 p.m., once power was restored.
During the power outage, spectators cheered as play was announced to resume and erupted in spontaneous applause when the fire alarm that halted play again was silenced. Ushers were using their fingers to relay scores to spectators, while the Hawk-Eye electronic line calling system was disabled.
The chaotic conditions did not dampen the spirits of the players or the crowd. A Tennis Channel announcer joked about the situation, and even Jannik Sinner, the current world No. 1, was seen laughing at the surreal chain of events at the ATP 1000 level tournament.
Despite the delay, matches concluded with normal results after play resumed, with Fritz defeating Sonego and Bonzi defeating Tsitsipas in their respective matches. The power outage impacted several systems used by the tournament, but did not seem to significantly affect the outcome of the matches.
On-court microphones picked up a conversation between a tournament official and the players, with both expressing their willingness to play through the noisy conditions. Smoke appeared to be rising from a generator on the property during the power outage, according to reports.
The power outage at the Cincinnati Open caused a delay of approximately one hour. However, the tournament was able to resume without long-term disruption, and Sinner advanced to the round of 16, having won his match against Diallo with scores of 6-2 7-6 (6).
[1] Duke Energy Dispatches Crews to Lindner Family Tennis Center [2] Cincinnati Open: Power Outage Forces 75-Minute Delay [4] Tennis Channel: Power Outage Briefly Disrupts Coverage of Cincinnati Open
- Despite the 75-minute interruption caused by the power outage, spectators, as well as the players, managed to maintain their spirits during the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament.
- The power outage at the Cincinnati Open also impacted sports broadcasting, causing a temporary disruption in the coverage provided by the Tennis Channel.
