The quality of this first set in the finals of The Lexington Challenger between top-seeded Arthur Cazaux of France and 2nd-seeded Steve Johnson of USA is quite impressive. I’m pulling for the old guy. pic.twitter.com/RPLcEdhbw5

— John Huang (@KYHuangs) August 6, 2023

I love the Masters Cincinnati event. I have been actively lobbying to keep it in Cincinnati despite its new owners being located in Charlotte. I do think challenger events are also worth our ticket purchases. I had never attended a Challenger event before 2023. The closest I came was attending qualifying rounds for Masters Cincinnati.

The Lexington Challenger was a great event from the point of view of a guest. The top two seeds reached the final of the men’s and women’s draws, but the draws and qualifying draws had plenty of players recovering from injuries mixed in with up-and-comers. A day pass was $10 and the shade was plentiful due to trees and tarps. There were concessions and free (!) parking. There was a USTA junior event being held at the same venue (the University of Kentucky’s Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex).

This was an incredibly fan-friendly event. Hearing that locals hosted competitors in their homes added to a feel of a community effort making high-level tennis possible. As a fan and/or member of the press, I’ve attended the US Open, Masters Cincinnati, Washington, DC, Newport, RI, and the now-defunct Indianapolis hard courts. I’ve watched the USTA National 18 and under clay court championships too when they were located in Louisville. I’ve been to several college dual matches ranging from Division 1 to Division 3. The Lexington event was one of my most enjoyable visits to a high-level tennis contest.

I feel like the tennis fanatic in me could come with a day pass and stay from morning until night watching singles, doubles, and practice courts. I think it would be a similar feel to days 1 and 2 in Cincinnati with a less star-studded set of players to be sure. I could also take one of my family members who may not want to do the full-day experience and watch 2-3 hours of great tennis for $20 in the shade. My short advice is to take in a day or two at any Challenger Tour event near you and maybe bring a friend who is not yet a tennis fanatic as they may get hooked.