In the news

Sports Business Journal,  05/17/23

The new stadium offers seven suites (compared to two last year) and every courtside box sits within the first four rows of the court. By bringing the stadium court closer to the outside match courts, fans will be able to experience all the tournament action in a condensed footprint.

Crains Cleveland,  05/17/23

Cleveland.com, 05/17/23
This summer's Tennis in the Land (TITL) tournament will have some sweet additions.
Suite additions, too.
This way, people can walk from one court to the other, to food, back to a new match court. You can hear a roar from an adjacent court and can leave your seat and walk to it and see what’s going on. Previously, the tournament didn’t quite have that dynamic of proximity of having one consolidated venue.

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/16/22

​SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/7/22
Cavaliers parent company Rock Entertainment Group is partnering with Topnotch Management’s Tennis in The Land, the 250-level WTA tournament held in the city’s downtown. REG will help the tournament elevate ticket sales, corporate partnerships, hospitality and youth participation.
Second-year WTA Tour event Tennis in the Land has signed a presenting partner for the 2022 edition of its tournament -- Motorola.

TENNIS.COM, 8/26/22

NEWS 5 CLEVELAND, 8/23/22
Bernarda Pera won her 13th consecutive WTA Tour match, beating former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 on Thursday night in the Tennis in The Land quarterfinals.
The entire West bank of The Flats turns into a sprawling tennis complex with Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica serving as the center stage. The event is part of the U.S. Open Series and will serve as the final opportunity for players to dial in their game before the U.S. Open next week.

CLEVELAND.COM, 8/17/22

CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS, 8/18/22
“We had a great rookie season,” said Kyle Ross, tournament director from Cleveland-based Topnotch Management. “Now it’s on us to show the second year and chart a trajectory of where we’re going to take the event.”
Tennis in the Land, which runs Aug. 20-27, is projected to generate $2.1 million in economic impact to Northeast Ohio, according to the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. The WTA 250 event is part of the U.S. Open Series and will include 17 of the top 50 players in the world, with several wild card spots available to players who want a last-minute tuneup before next week's U.S. Open.

CLEVELAND.COM, 8/28/21

Both players will now set their sights on the U.S. Open – the final Grand Slam of the year – which will commence Monday in New York. Kontaveit starts against Samantha Stosur of Australia (No. 186) while Begu opens with Andrea Petkovic of Germany (No. 66).

WTATENNIS.COM, 8/29/21

“I was really enjoying myself out there," Kontaveit told the press, after her victory. "I was really having a good time, I was really happy that the crowd was back, and I was feeling more comfortable on the court match by match.”

ap news, 8/28/21

“It’s been a rough year, so I was really enjoying myself,” Kontaveit said. “Of course, it’s special to get a title as it’s been a while, but the main thing for me was gaining more confidence on the court. The welcome we received was so warm, it felt like home here.”

NBC SPORTS, 8/28/21

Aoyama and Shibahara won for the fifth time this year and eighth overall.
​
“American crowds have such a big voice, I thank you for that,” said Aoyama, who has 17 career doubles title. “And thank you Ena for playing with me.”

CLEVELAND.COM, 8/28/21

The semifinals of the inaugural Tennis in the Land, the women’s tournament taking place at Jacobs Pavilion, drew enthusiasts of the sport, a melting-pot of competitors and even Myles Garrett. And Cleveland provided a sharp backdrop for everyone.

The Cleveland Browns defensive end was in the stands for Friday’s action, his back to the Cuyahoga River and the venue’s backdrop of bridges, buildings and boats.

spectrum news, 8/28/21

"It was a real blessing,” Vinci said. "It’s like I was given an opportunity to bypass what we are normally supposed to do as students.” 
​
Vinci created custom umpire chairs that are more comfortable and easier to climb than traditional chairs. 
He did extensive research to learn about what would make the chairs better for umpires. 

wtatennis.com, 8/28/21

No.2 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia and unseeded Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania will be the first finalists at the inaugural Tennis in the Land event, following their straight-set victories in the Cleveland semifinals on Friday.

ESPN, 8/25/21

"The most special part of this is we can play again in front of you guys," Siniakova said, waving to the crowd. "It's been rough for a while [because of COVID-19 restrictions], but the atmosphere is getting better and better at tournaments."

CWRU THE DAILY, 8/23/21

For the first time in the city’s history, women’s professional tennis is coming to Cleveland, and an interdisciplinary team at Case Western Reserve University is taking a front row seat—or rather, making a front row seat. The iconic tennis umpire chairs that are standing tall at center court of the inaugural 2021 Tennis in the Land event were created in Sears think[box], Case Western Reserve’s open-source makerspace. 

Cleveland.com, 8/19/21

“It comes together seamlessly. It appears like any court we all know. But there’s a lot going on with the surface, and it’s been a fascinating challenge to make a very gentle slope perfectly flat so we can have world-class tennis,” Topnotch president Sam Duvall said.

STAR BEACON, 8/14/21

“I want the girls to see tennis at the highest level,” [the coach] said. “To have the professional game so close to home, I thought it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.
​
“I’ve mentioned Lauren Davis a few times at practice and now the kids actually get to see her in a match. Hopefully it will inspire the girls to greater heights.”

WKYC, 8/5/21

"[This] gives people an opportunity, not only locals, but people who are coming into town to see what Cleveland has to offer," Emily Lauer with Destination Cleveland said.
​
Spectators coming through the city for the tournament are expected to boost the economy. At a press conference Wednesday, organizers predicted $2 million in direct spending.

CLEVELAND.COM, 8/4/21

Organizers said they have an eight-year commitment in Cleveland for the tennis showcase, three years with Jacobs Pavilion.

​“This is an enduring, longtime event that we are bringing here. This is not a one-off, this is not an exhibition,” said Topnotch’s Kyle Ross. “We are part of the roadmap to the U.S. Open.”

Cleveland.com, 7/25/21

Tennis is the most popular women’s sport in the world, and the Women’s Tennis Association Tour touches down in some of the most famous cities on the globe: Rome, Paris, Palm Springs and Tokyo, to name a few.
​
This August, Cleveland joins that list.

News Herald, 7/24/21

“So you could actually watch a couple matches, go to dinner somewhere in the Flats, then come back if you want,” Guthrie said. “So we’re trying to make it a big Cleveland experience not just for the tennis — just to kind of show off our city to everyone and try to get people downtown.”
​
For those unable to make it downtown for that experience, much of the action will be shown on Tennis Channel, as well as Bally Sports Great Lakes.

Crain's Cleveland Business, 6/17/21

With a significant professional tennis tournament in Cleveland now two months away, things are progressing as Topnotch Management had hoped. ... The event will be the biggest professional tennis tournament held in Cleveland since Brad Gilbert won the Society Bank Tennis Classic in 1985. Topnotch also is promoting the tournament as the most notable professional women's event held in Northeast Ohio.

US Open SEries announcement, 4/13/21

“The opportunity here is to build a long-lasting event that changes the Cleveland sports landscape and shapes the community in an enduring way," said Kyle Ross, tournament director. 

Sports business journal, 4/12/21

“Awesome venue, great timing and it kind of solves what has been a challenging week in that slot before the [U.S.] Open,” said [Kyle] Ross, who will be the tournament director. “It creates continuity for the women in the summer.” 

Crain's Cleveland Business, 4/13/21

“It's exciting. We've got a lot of work to do, but it's a great feeling knowing we're in a position to create something special that's here for a long time," [Kyle] Ross told Crain's.

Being an official part of the US Open Series — a group of summer tournaments that lead into the main event in New York — is "a win for us and connects our tournament to the very top of the game," Ross said.

News5 Cleveland, 4/13/21

“The Flats West Bank will showcase our skyline and provide a beautiful backdrop as over 60 million US households and beyond tune in to watch the top women athletes compete. With an estimated $2 million in direct spending as well as youth and programming efforts, this event will leave a lasting legacy in our community.”

Fox 8, 4/13/21

“Our community is ready to welcome the annual Women’s Tennis Association 250 event to The Land,” said David Gilbert, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

Cleveland.com, 4/13/21

Though tennis will be the main event, the tournament will also have food trucks, a beer garden, live music, a farmers market and art show.

Crain's Cleveland Business, 1/10/21

Topnotch's two-year run as the host of the Cleveland Open, which [is] part of the ATP Challenger Tour, proved to the company that it could do something "on a much bigger scale," said Sam Duvall, the Cleveland firm's president and founder.

​WE'RE  BRINGING  TENNIS  TO  THE LAND.

Topnotch Management is committed to athletes and our local community. To us, the best way to seamlessly combine the two is by bringing professional tennis to Northeast Ohio. ​

MARK  YOUR  CALENDARS:
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​August  16 - 23,  2025!

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