The Ultimate Tennis Showdown is a newer, funkier version of tennis introduced by famous coach Patrick Mouratoglou. Aimed at appealing to young audiences, UTS premiered in Nice, France, in June 2020.
A co-creation of Mouratoglou and Australian tennis player Alexei Popyrin, UTS was introduced in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that forced a break from the sport.
This new tennis format will set the tone for an exciting and memorable fan experience by taking traditional tennis and tweaking it to appeal to the minds of tennis fans. USTA does not aim to compete with the ATP and WTA Tours. Instead, it is looking for a different kind of experience for tennis fans who seek a closer connection with their favorite players. It also aims to attract and interact with younger fans who might not have discovered tennis before. UTS encourages players to express their emotions freely. Basically, the code of conduct is thrown out the window and players are free to express their anger, joy, and whatever else they are feeling, as long as no one gets hurt!
After each quarter, fans get the opportunity to hear from their favorite players on-court in an in-match interview. It was off the court, not on the court, where some of the most memorable moments of the first three editions of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown took place, when the players let their personalities shine through.
WHAT ARE THE RULES OF UTS ?
The basics have always been there. There are four quarters of play with a running clock, and the match is won by the first player to win three quarters. To make the competition more of a sprint than a marathon, the length of the quarter has been changed from ten to eight minutes in 2021. There are no games during the quarters, just a running score as players alternate serving two points each. When the clock runs out at the end of the quarter, the player with the most points wins the quarter.
If each player win two quarters, sudden death comes next. Each point beyond the first one results in a match point, so the first player to score two consecutive points is the sudden death winner.
WHAT ARE UTS CARDS?
UTS cards give competitions a game-show feel and cause competitors to step out of their comfort zones. The player is given two cards at the start of each quarter that he or she can use when the opportunity arises. Depending on the card, players will earn three points for their wins or force their opponent to serve-and-volley. A player can also serve four points in a row with the “steal serve” card.
Tennis players can now plan their card use based on their own strengths, the remaining clock time, and, of course, their opponents’ weaknesses.
WHEN WILL UTS HAPPEN ?
The fourth edition of UTS is going to take place on May 24-25 in southern France at the Mouratoglou Academy, on red clay for the first time. You can find more information on UTSlive.tv. UTS editions will continue in 2021, but dates are yet to be decided.
WHO ARE THE UTS CHAMPIONS?
The Ultimate Tennis Showdown has crowned four champions across UTS1, UTS2 and UTS3.
UTS1: | July 12, 2020 | Mouratoglou Academy, Biot, France | Champion: Matteo “The Hammer” Berrettini
UTS2: | August, 2, 2020 | Patrick Mouratoglou Academy, Biot, France | Champions: Alexander “The Lion” Zverev and Anastasia “The Thunder” Pavlyuchenkova
UTS3: | October 18, 2020 | Antwerp, Belgium | Champion: Alex “The Demon” De Minaur
HOW CAN I WATCH UTS?
Ultimate Tennis Showdown can be watched for free on the UTS official website. In addition, you can watch UTS on your mobile phone or device using the official UTS app.
UTS can also be viewed on traditional broadcasts around the world.
EUROSPORT: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia , Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vatican State
Sport 1: Israel
Look TV: Romania
EUROSPORT INDIA+: Indian Sub-continent including India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
SABC: South Africa
beIN sports – MENA: Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the UAE, Yemen
beIN sports – APAC: Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, East Timor, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore
DAZN: Japan
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