The Cleveland Championships are coming to the WTA Tour.
Owned and managed by Cleveland-based sports agency Topnotch Management, the brand new one-week WTA 250 event will be held in the week after the Western and Southern Open, August 22-28th.
Part of the US Open Series and held at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in Flats West Bank, the event is a part of the portfolio of Topnotch Management.
From the tournament: “The stadium court will be constructed under the pavilion with stunning views of the river and downtown, with the construction of five additional courts completing the overall venue."
Sounds like a dream for the fans, and also from the players, who will only need to make a short commute from Mason, Ohio when they've finished up at the Western and Southern Open. It makes for a formidable one-two punch in the Buckeye state.
“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 of the event. "Cleveland has never had an annual women’s sporting event of this level, and through the platform of the WTA Tour we can not only introduce the city to world-class tennis, but we can introduce the tennis world to the city of Cleveland."
32 singles players and 16 doubles teams will compete for $300k in prize money in Clevelend. The stadium court will have a capacity of 3,000+ and offer seating categories from VIP courtside boxes to general admission seats, plus additional viewing at the outside courts, all with great views of the river and city skyline.
The event is not Topnotch Management’s first foray into hosting professional tennis in the Cleveland area.
Through Topnotch’s work with its annual ATP Challenger event held each winter, the tournament has driven more than $15,000 in donations to Advantage Cleveland, a local leader in urban youth development through tennis and education. The Cleveland Championships will create opportunities to continue to grow these efforts.
“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. “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.”