2019 is fast approaching, but we don't want to move on from 2018 without taking a moment to appreciate the massive changes and great successes we've seen this year. Here's what happened in the world of Topnotch Management in 2018.

Reilly Opelka lifted his second Challenger Tour trophy in as many weeks today, defeating Topnotch Management's Ryan Shane for the 2018 JSM Challenger title. 

Ryan Shane recorded many successes in addition to reaching the finals, among them his first Top 100 win and his first ATP Challenger Tour quarterfinal and semifinal wins. Shane leapt 183 spots in the ATP rankings for a career-high ranking of No. 394. Overall a great week and great achievement for Ryan—congratulations!

Reilly Opelka enters the ATP Top 100 for the first time on Monday (No. 98). This comes after being ranked No. 173 in September. Since the US Open, he has reached four finals in just six tournaments. Congratulations, Reilly! 

Congratulations, Katherine! For a French article, click here to read Le Journal de Québec.

Crain's Cleveland Business writer Kevin Kleps brought our recent spate of exciting news to a bigger audience. REad more about our entry into the world of soccer and our indoor golf training facility, The Clubhouse, here.

Caroline Garcia defeated top seed Pliskova 7-6, 6-3 to lift the Tianjin Open title on Sunday. Several media outlets covered the match:

ESPN: Tianjin Open final: Caroline Garcia defeats Karolina Pliskova to lift title
Sports Illustrated: Caroline Garcia defeats Karolina Pliskova to win Tianjin Open title
The Straits Times: Tennis: France's Caroline Garcia wins Tianjin Open for first title of 2018
Reuters: Tennis: Garcia overcomes Pliskova to claim Tianjin title
VAVEL: WTA Tianjin: Caroline Garcia displays serving masterclass, outlasts Karolina Pliskova in straight sets

Cleveland, OH (October 12th, 2018) – Sports management company Topnotch Management announced today the acquisition of boutique sports marketing agency, MLC Sport, in a move that represents Topnotch Management's entry into the global soccer landscape. 

The Minneapolis-based MLC Sport represents premier talent across the soccer world and will operate as a new Topnotch Management division under the name Topnotch Soccer, continuing to be managed by founder Matt Cairns out of his Minneapolis office. 

“I'm proud of what we've built here at MLC Sport over the past few years and I'm excited to continue to grow as Topnotch Soccer,” explained Matt Cairns. “The team at Topnotch is uniquely able to support the agency and our professional clients, and I know Topnotch Soccer will continue to be one of the leading soccer agencies in the US.” 

Originally from the UK, Cairns founded MLC Sport in 2015 and has demonstrated a track record of signing strong soccer talents from the UK and beyond, with his client roster composed of players in various leagues of soccer in the United States. The roster includes stars Brent Kallman, Richie Ryan and Nazmi Albadawi, and rising prospects Brett Levis and Jack Barmby.

For Topnotch Management president, Sam Duvall, the move represents the third sport division for the agency (behind tennis and golf, which launched in 2016) and illustrates a commitment to diversifying his client roster and identifying new sporting opportunities. 

“I've been monitoring the soccer market for years and the fit with Matt and everything he's done at MLC Sport just makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways,” explained Duvall. “The work ethic and expertise he brings, not to mention a roster of great soccer talents, really puts Topnotch Soccer in a position to find success and maintain the same standard of commitment to our clients that we're known for on the tennis and golf sides. ” 

The signing indicates a major step into the soccer industry for Topnotch Management, which for years has managed many of the world's top tennis players, and creates further opportunities to develop tourism and travel experiences to professional soccer events around the country. 

About Topnotch Management:
Topnotch Management is a boutique sports representation agency headquartered in Cleveland, OH, with offices in New York, LA, Minneapolis and Stowe, specializing in world-class representation, service and event management in the tennis, golf and soccer industries. It shares ownership with Grand Slam Tennis Tours, creating a portfolio of robust global travel capabilities. For more information, visit www.topnotchmanagement.com and follow Topnotch Management on Twitter. You can find Topnotch Soccer on Instagram as @TNSoccer.

Media Information:
Kyle Ross
kyle@topnotchmanagement.com