Midwest Sports Becomes Official Retail Sponsor, Outfitter of W&S Open

The Western & Southern Open and Midwest Sports announced today the details of a new partnership making the retailer an official sponsor with exclusive rights to selling sportswear apparel bearing the mark of the professional tennis tournament.

Midwest Sports will outfit the more than 1,300 volunteers working the event, as well as on-court personnel such as linespeople and ballpersons. For 2014, the retailer has partnered with tennis apparel brand Wilson to provide these uniforms. The "look book" for this year's uniforms is attached to this release.

The northern-Cincinnati based Midwest Sports is best known as one of the largest tennis equipment and merchandise sellers in the world via its website, midwestsports.com. The site received over 6 million unique visitors in 2013.

"They are a great company with customer service values that are directly in line with our own here at the tournament," said tournament CEO Elaine Bruening. "It is exciting to announce this expanded relationship, in now our 10th year of doing business with Midwest Sports."

In addition to articles bearing the tournament logo, the retailer also has the exclusive rights to sell non-tournament branded sportswear, footwear, racquets and balls from all major brands at the event. During the tournament, Midwest Sports erects the largest freestanding tennis retail operation in North America to serve the nearly 200,000 fans from 50 states and 30 countries that visit the nine-day event. The total retail space managed by Midwest Sports during the event will be nearly 13,000 square feet.

"We are proud of our association with the Western and Southern Open over the last decade. This new partnership with the tournament and the tremendous support of Wilson Tennis will provide broader recognition of all our brands," said Greg Wolf, President of Midwest Sports.

Kristi Boggs, Business Manager of Wilson Racquet Sports Softgoods, added: "Our partnership with Midwest Sports and the Western & Southern Open is a great fit for Wilson Racquet Sports.  We look forward to bringing our apparel and footwear to the courts of this premier event in Cincinnati, allowing us to showcase Wilson softgoods on one of the biggest stages in tennis."

As part of the new arrangement, Midwest Sports will have courtside signage on the main two stadium courts at the venue, along with television advertising within tournament broadcasts and digital exposure around the grounds. Exact terms of the multi-year deal will not be released.

The Western & Southern Open is one of only five tennis events in the world, outside of the grand slams, where the best men and women play during the same week at the same venue. The tournament is played at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, OH. The event is scheduled for August 9-17, 2014.