In just a few days, Cleveland will be the center of the professional tennis world as the city hosts Tennis in the Land, Ohio’s largest women’s tennis event, for the third consecutive year. The entire West Bank of The Flats turns into a sprawling tennis complex with Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in the background with the center stage close by. The event is part of the U.S. Open Series and will be the final opportunity for players to dial in their game before the U.S. Open in New York next week.
This year’s field features four Grand Slam champions, including 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, who will compete during the Monday night matches on August 21. Gates Mills native Lauren Davis, who has already won a WTA title this year, returns to Cleveland for her third tournament appearance. 2022 Tennis in the Land Singles Winners Liudmila Samsonova and Doubles Champions Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez will be back to defend their titles. The event’s top seed is WTA-ranked #12 Barbora Krejčíková from the Czech Republic.
“The level of our excitement with this initial player field is off the charts as we prepare to bring incredible talent to Cleveland during the WTA’s 50th season,” said Tennis in the Land Tournament director Kyle Ross. “Fans can expect high-quality matches throughout the entire week across our new footprint on the Flats West Bank, including the new Stadium Court that we’ve designed to provide an exceptional view from every seat.”
The week-long event kicks off on Saturday, August 19, and will initially feature three match and practice courts through Tuesday, August 22. For the latter half of the tournament week, courts will be reduced to only the main stadium court due to draw size. If possible, matches that are rained out will be rescheduled for later in a session. Sessions will only be canceled if no match is completed and less than 1 hour and 30 minutes of Tennis are played in a given session. There is no guarantee that any match will officially be played in a given session.
Off the court, there’s plenty for tennis enthusiasts all over Cleveland to enjoy during Tennis in the Land. On Sunday, August 20, there are exclusive ticket discounts for families, complimentary stuffed animals for kids provided by Wild Republic, autograph sessions with WTA pros and tons of fun games for younger tennis fans.
On August 22, meanwhile, there will be a Women in Business Forum hosted by U.S. Bank which will feature a cocktail hour with WTA players playing in the tournament, an hour-long speaker panel, a Q &A session and group ticket seating to the Tuesday evening session of Tennis in the Land. Finally, there are numerous discounted ticket opportunities throughout the tournament.
Tickets are still on sale for the 2023 Tennis in the Land event by the Women’s Tennis Association. Matches run through Saturday, August 26. Additionally, Right Down Euclid readers can get 15% off their ticket purchase if they use the code TITL15 at checkout. All tickets for the 2023 Tennis in the Land tournament will be digital. To view your tickets, please download the SeatGeek Mobile App and create an account using the email your order confirmation was sent to. Once you have created an account, you should see your Tennis in the Land tickets under the “Tickets” page within the app.
Tennis is the Land can be a good opportunity to see these players up close before you have to catch them at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the U.S. Open. It’s one of the most-viewed tennis events in the world and, more importantly, is Cleveland’s largest professional women’s sports event and one of the nation’s biggest women’s tennis tournaments.
Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. You can also email him at evan@downeuclid.com. He can also be found three to five times weekly on Locked On Cavs, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network.
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