Live tennis like never before. That is the premise of Ultimate Tennis Showdownan alternative circuit to that of the ATPwhich was born in 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, by the hand of the French Patrick Mouratoglouformer coach of Serena Williams, and who returned this year with the aim of revolutionizing the world of racket and shaking up “the stuffy traditions” of a sport with hundreds of years of history.
In their first meeting of this season, which was held in The Angels between July 21 and 23, a few days after the final of Wimbledonsummoned several great stars of the circuit, such as the top 10 Americans Taylor Fritz y Frances Tiafoethe French Gael Monfils and the Argentine Diego Schwartzman. And the three days of competition in Dignity Health Sports Parka multipurpose stadium in that Californian city, were a party.
The UTS -which, according to Mouratoglou himself, does not seek to replace the ATP Tour, but rather to offer a new option, to seduce a new generation of spectators accustomed to consuming shows full of action and dynamism- presents different rules. Matches with a new structure, a constant interaction between the players and the public, fun exchanges between the protagonists and interviews between the matches. All in a relaxed atmosphere, with live music with a DJ on the court and without so much protocol for the spectators.
“Tennis is one of the only sports in the world where you pay a ticket and they tell you to shut up, which is a bit weird,” Mouratoglou said in an interview with the newspaper. Los Angeles Times. “The fans are here to enjoy themselves, shout, cry, laugh, make noise, if they want. That’s what happens in the NBA, in soccer, in most sports. I think tennis players have gotten used to playing quietly. If they get used to this, they’ll be completely fine, and I think they’ll want to play even more.”
The UTS is a real show. A show different from what the classic tennis audience is used to. The players, for example, are presented as rock stars when they enter the field and with the nicknames (some unusual or witty, others more obvious) that identify them throughout the tournament. Schwartzman is -of course- “The Little”.
In Los Angeles, the Argentine shared Group A with The Hotshot (The Hot Shot, Taylor Fritz), The Great Wall (The Great Wall, Chinese Wu Yibing), and The Rebel (The Rebel, Benoit Paire). In group B they competed Big Foe (a pun on Frances Tiafoe’s last name), The Mountain (The Mountain, Ben Shelton) The Bublik Enemy (The Enemy Bublik, Alexander Bublik) and Monf (allusion to the last name of Gael Monfils).
The Los Angeles Eight: Paire, Fritz, Wu, Schwartzman, Tiafoe, Shelton, Monfils and Bublik. Photo www.uts.live
“The nicknames are good and the show is very nice,” Bublik said. “We definitely need these kinds of events. I think UTS can be a very, very big asset to professional tennis.”
King Kyrgios (Nick Kyrgios) had been billed as one of the event’s main attractions, but pulled out at the last minute due to the right wrist injury that had kept him out of Wimbledon. Likewise, the Australian, a great promoter of the idea of a more relaxed tennis, did not want to miss the appointment and was present at the tournament as Tiafoe’s coach.
At the Los Angeles event, the stadiums vibrated with each game, thanks to the more “relaxed” rules of the UTS.
Coaching is allowed and since the coaches, who are at the back of the field, have a microphone on, all the instructions they give to their players can be heard in the stadium and must be done in English. The tennis players also have a microphone and headphones during breaks, to be able to speak with the public -some even lend themselves to a selfie before returning to the game-, with their coaches and even participate in impromptu interviews.
Players can also converse with each other – except while the point is being played – and fans are allowed to shout, sing, cheer and make noise, even with the ball in play. For this reason, in parties there is never silence.
In that environment, the tennis players had a great time. He smallFor example, he showed off his soccer skills by playing a few games with the ball in the middle of the game with Paire. The Frenchman joined in and the two had a fun soccer-tennis exchange over the net. Although the European also showed his strong temperament and he broke a racket – justifying his nickname – after losing a point against the Argentine.
Fritz, Monfils, Tiafoe and Wu -trained by the Argentine Gerardo Azcurra and who came on at the last moment in place of Kyrgios- were others who gave away magic. And Shelton was responsible for some of the most impressive points of the tournament when he saved Tiafoe’s shot from a half-crouch, racket raised and not looking. The young star from Atlanta celebrated it to Big Foe’s face, who had no choice but to laugh and acknowledge the genius of his rival.
“This is how tournaments should be,” said Kyrgios at some point over the weekend, giving his approval to the UTS show, the circuit that wants to revolutionize tennis.
The rules of the game
UTS matches are shorter and more dynamic than those played in traditional tournaments. Each match lasts four eight-minute quarters. And there is a three-minute rest between one quarter and another and 15 seconds between points (controlled by a clock). The first player to own three quarters is the winner. And if they are tied 2-2, a fifth is played with the format of Sudden deathin which the first player to win two consecutive points wins the match.
There is no warm-up, the action starts as soon as the players take to the court. The serve is exchanged every two points. And there is no second serve: to speed up the game, if the first serve is missed, the point is lost.
During the eight minutes that a quarter lasts, each player scores as many points as they can (counting as in a tie break, not with the traditional 15, 30, 40…). Once the time is up, “quarter points” are contested. The one who is winning, only has to score one more point to win. The one who is down on the scoreboard must first equalize it, without losing a single point, and then look for the one that will give them victory.
In the semifinal clash that Fritz beat Monfils -after the round-robin in the group stage, the first two in each zone go to a direct elimination bracket-, the American was 2-1 in sets and 17-13 when the clock reached zero in the fourth quarter. Thus, the Frenchman had to get five points to take over the partial and force the Sudden death. But Fritz won the only one he needed and sealed the win.
One of the most curious rules is that of the “Bonus Card”. It is a bonus card that each player can use only once per quarter and makes if he wins the next point, that “counts for three”.
“It’s a big event for people who aren’t tennis fans, because the rules are completely new. So someone who isn’t a tennis fan will be in the same boat as someone who is,” Fritz said. “It’s good to try new things to adapt, attract new generations and make it more exciting.”
How is the season structured?
The 2023 UTS season is made up of four events: three regular and one Grand finale. How are the protagonists chosen? They are invited by the organization, which is looking for the best rackets on the circuit, but also the most charismatic and popular, who can guarantee the best show.
After the one in Los Angeles – in which the Chinese Wu was champion, after defeating Fritz in the final -, the second date will be Frankfurt from September 15 to 17, after the US Open. In the German city they will play Schwartzman, Medvedev, RublevKyrgios, Pair, Opelka and Monfils. There will be one more tournament in November or December in the Middle East and then the final, both with venues yet to be confirmed.
Each contest awards points, ATP style: from four (for he is eliminated in the round robin and does not win any match) to 20 (for the champion). Thus, a ranking is formed. The top 3 of that classification will join the winners of the three events and two wild cards to fight for the title in the Grand Final.
Each tournament also delivers a good bag of money prizes. After all, it’s not just the promise of fun and spectacle that can lure big stars into squeezing UTS events into their packed calendars.
Each quote put into play a total of 1,665 million dollars. Each match distributes 111 thousand, of which 70 percent goes to the winner and the remaining 30 to the loser. Except for the final, in which the champion takes all. If a player goes out undefeated champion -imposed in the three group games, the semis and the final, in three days of competition- would pocket $421,800. To reap a similar amount on the ATP circuit, he would have to win a category 500 tournament, reach the semis in a Masters 1000 (that instance pays a little more) or make quarters in a Grand Slam.
2023-08-03 10:01:39
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