‘Massive’ prize money revealed for UTS Grand Final in London
UTS Grand Final has announced massive prize money in its quest to attract new fans to the Copper Box Arena in London.
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Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur (via Sportsrush)
With the ATP season over, tennis lovers are about to switch to the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) Grand Final in London. The tournament is scheduled to start on Friday, December 6, at the Copper Box Arena.
Several top ATP players are already in the draw, and one of them will walk with their biggest paycheck of the year. The UTS is set to field the best eight male players for three days of high-octane tennis using an innovative format that will attract fans.
The tournament will see eight players feature in two round-robin groups, just like the ATP Finals. The two top players in each group will head into the semifinals. UTS Frankfurt winner, Ben Shelton is not going to compete in the London edition.
In Group A, Andrey Rublev, Ugo Humbert, Gael Monfils and Thanasi Kokkinakis. Group B will see Alex de Minaur, Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, and Denis Shapovalov compete for the top. Each player is expected to play three matches in the round-robin stage.
The UTS has gained progress and popularity in London. Last year, they used a smaller venue for the competition, but this time around, it has announced an almost sold-out Copper Box Arena. Also, the victor’s prize money has nearly doubled, increasing from $546,800 last year to $921,800I.
In addition to the prize money for winning the title, the champion will receive a bonus if he has participated in four of the previous events. $250,000 will be given to those who played less than four of the events, and a $125,000 prize money for a player participating for the first time. The total prize money for the Grand Final is $2,165 million.
??⏰ Six, yes, SIX days until UTS Grand Final London! Get your tickets now ??️#uts #utstour #tennis #london pic.twitter.com/WOzAsSiFOc
— UTS Tour (@uts_tour_) November 30, 2024
Rublev and De Minaur are clear favorites to win the title, but the event has always had a surprising winner. Last year, Jack Draper defeated Rune in the final after defeating Norwegian Casper Ruud in the semifinals.
UTS creator Patrick Mouratoglou believes the event will attract new fans
The UTS has always applauded itself for having an innovative way of playing tennis, different from the ATP. Rather than the conventional two sets in tennis, the UTS consists of four-quarters of eight minutes and the time of a hypothetical sudden death.
The timer stops during the third-minute changeover at each quarter, and the first to win three quarters wins the match. Renowned coach and creator of the UTS Patrick Mouratoglou revealed in a recent interview that his vision of the game is a quick-fire brand of tennis.
So for people who love that sport, it’s to be able to experience that and also be part of it, because you can express yourself as much as you want, whenever you want. I feel like it’s an old format of Davis Cup with the same atmosphere. But plus because there is also the DJ, entertainment, people are really participating, dancing. it’s really special, and it’s a really, really tough competition between players at the same time.
Patrick Mouratoglou said (via Tennis365)
The UTS has attracted young fans this season, with so many of them attracted to the nontraditional way the game is played. However, it is also believed that Wimbledon Championship fans in the UK are expected to attend.
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Victor Okechukwu
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