Six international tennis stars, live performance by TOKiMONSTA and 2,000 fans as Red Bull BassLine goes all-women in Cincinnati.
In brief
- What: Red Bull BassLine – the rapid-fire, DJ-scored tennis format – held its sixth global edition, and its first-ever all-women’s competition.
- When: Saturday, 8 August 2026.
- Where: Cincinnati Open, Mason, Ohio. Grandstand Court.
- Who won: Cincinnati native Peyton Stearns, who beat Sofia Kenin 2 sets to 1 in the final.
- The field: Six WTA players – Peyton Stearns, Emma Navarro, McCartney Kessler, Sofia Kenin, Donna Vekić and Eva Lys.
- Crowd: 2,000 fans.
- Music: Live performance from Grammy-nominated producer and DJ TOKiMONSTA.
MASON, OHIO – 8 AUG 2026 – Cincinnati native Peyton Stearns delivered under the lights Saturday night, defeating an elite field to win the sixth global edition of Red Bull BassLine in front of 2,000 fans at the Cincinnati Open.
Tennis at full volume
There was no ‘quiet please.’ Red Bull BassLine plays by different rules: a live DJ soundtracking every point, music blasting throughout the rallies and a crowd invited to make noise all night. Six international tennis stars brought the fast-paced, fan-first action, with back-to-back tiebreaks, DJ sets and a live performance from acclaimed producer and DJ TOKiMONSTA keeping the crowd energized throughout the night.
All-women’s field from WTA Tour
The historic field featured six stars from across the WTA Tour. Alongside Stearns were Emma Navarro, McCartney Kessler, Sofia Kenin, Donna Vekić and Eva Lys, bringing together Grand Slam champions, rising stars and established international standouts for the event’s first-ever all-women’s competition.
How Red Bull BassLine works
The format kept things fast, and put the crowd in charge. Before a ball was struck, fans voted which side of the draw each player landed on. From there it was every player for herself: tiebreaks played first to five points, no umpire, with electronic line-calling on every point, and the two group winners advancing to the final.
Peyton Stearns beats Sofia Kenin in the final
When the final point was played, it was the 24-year-old Stearns who emerged victorious. The hometown hero delivered a dominant performance throughout the night before defeating Kenin, 2 sets to 1 in the championship match to lift the Red Bull BassLine trophy.
“It’s pretty amazing, especially being in Cincinnati,” Stearns said after the final. “I’m from here, so it means something special to me. And it’s amazing to have so many good female players out here supporting this and hopefully it keeps on going.”
“I didn’t really know what to expect, honestly,” added runner-up Sofia Kenin. “It was fun competing, playing, and the atmosphere was amazing. Having the DJ play every point was super fun, very relaxed. Compared to how we play and compete, week after week, this was a really nice change-up for us.”
Red Bull BassLine’s US debut
It was a night of firsts. After editions across Europe and Australia, Red Bull BassLine landed in the United States for its sixth global edition – and, for the first time, built the entire field around women’s players.
“Tonight was a tremendous example of what makes the Cincinnati Open such a special experience,” said Bob Moran, Tournament Director, Cincinnati Open. “To host the first-ever all-women’s Red Bull BassLine in front of 2,000 fans and to see them embrace the energy these incredible athletes brought to the court, was really special. This is what Community Weekend is all about: bringing people together and finding new ways to showcase the personalities, athleticism and excitement of tennis.”
Kicking off the Cincinnati Open
Part of Community Weekend, the event set the tone for the fortnight ahead, with Cincinnati Open main-draw action starting from 11 August.
Additional quotes
Emma Navarro on the event preparing them for the Cincinnati Open…
“I think it’s a great warm-up. Even though it’s different than how the tournament will be, I think it’s good to get out on the courts that we’re going to play on, play against some of our competitors, and have a crowd in the stands. It was a good warm-up.”
Emma Navarro on the level of play…
“It’s not easy coming out here and having a three-minute warm-up and then playing a tie-break to five. It’s tough circumstances. I think all of us played some good tennis and had some fun while doing it.”
Peyton Stearns on the unique format…
“I love the music. I love that people can talk during the point. I played college tennis, so I’m super used to people cheering, yelling during points. I thought it was super cool.”
About Red Bull BassLine
Red Bull BassLine is a rapid-fire, unique tennis format combining high class tennis with music and entertainment. Players are voted into two groups and play against each other in a fun tie-break format to the beat of a live DJ on court. The winners of each group then go on, to battle it out in the final. There is no umpire, just epic beats from the DJ. It’s fast, unique, energetic and the crowd gets loud!
About the Cincinnati Open
Founded in 1899, the Cincinnati Open is an ATP Masters 1000 and a WTA 1000 tournament that is proudly supported by cornerstone partners Western & Southern Financial Group, Credit One Bank, Procter & Gamble, Great American Insurance Company, Fifth Third and Kroger. The Cincinnati Open most recently welcomed more than 285,000 fans from all 50 states and 65 countries and has been viewed in 187 global markets. With a focus on community, the tournament annually contributes to local charities supporting youth, families, education, health and wellness initiatives. For more information, visit cincinnatiopen.com.
Fact sheet: Red Bull BassLine Cincinnati 2026
- Event: Red Bull BassLine, the sixth global edition of Red Bull’s music-and-tennis exhibition format, and the first held as an all-women’s competition. It was also the format’s first staging in the United States, after previous editions across Europe (including Vienna and Madrid) and Australia (Melbourne).
- Date and venue: Saturday, 8 August 2026, at the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio. Staged on the Grandstand Court with a 7 p.m. ET start.
- Champion: Cincinnati local Peyton Stearns, who won the trophy by defeating Sofia Kenin 2 sets to 1 in the final. Stearns is a former NCAA singles champion at Texas and a two-time WTA titlist, most recently at the Austin (ATX Open) event earlier in 2026.
- Runner-up: Sofia Kenin. The 2020 Australian Open champion and former world No. 4. Stearns and Kenin also met in the first round of the 2026 Australian Open, where Stearns won.
- The field (six WTA players): Peyton Stearns, Emma Navarro, McCartney Kessler, Sofia Kenin, Donna Vekić and Eva Lys – mix of Grand Slam champions, rising stars and established international names. Navarro is a former world No. 8 and 2024 US Open semi-finalist; Vekić is a 2024 Olympic silver medalist and 2024 Wimbledon semi-finalist; Kessler is a three-time WTA titlist and former world No. 30; Lys is the German No. 1.
- Format: Six players; fans vote which side of the draw each player lands on; tiebreaks played first to five points; no umpire, with electronic line-calling; two group winners advance to the final.
- Music: Live performance from Grammy-nominated producer and DJ TOKiMONSTA.
- Attendance: 2,000 fans.
- Context: Part of Cincinnati Open Community Weekend ahead of main-draw play from 11 August. Community Weekend also featured Kids Day and the inaugural Cincinnati Open 5K.
- Tournament: The Cincinnati Open is an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event founded in 1899; recent editions have drawn more than 285,000 fans from all 50 states and 65 countries, broadcast in 187 markets.
Available content
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News Cut / Social News Clips / Interview Selects from the pre-event, with shot list & transcript. Photos and Press Release also available.
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Media contacts
Zack Neiner – 484-889-7174 – Zack.Neiner@redbull.com
Rich Mitchell – 347-454-4218 – Rich.Mitchell@redbull.com