Nick Kyrgios trades racquet for coaching role at Ultimate Tennis Showdown, will coach Frances Tiafoe
Flamboyant Aussie takes on coaching role for Frances Tiafoe in Sudden-Death Showdown.
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Frances Tiafoe and Nick Kyrgios (Credit: Daily Express)
The highly anticipated Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in Los Angeles is due to begin this weekend, but one of its top players will be absent. Nick Kyrgios, known for his powered displays, has withdrawn from the event owing to a wrist injury sustained before Wimbledon. Kyrgios, on the other hand, has stunned fans by revealing his participation in the UTS as a coach, serving as a mentor to American tennis player Frances Tiafoe.
Despite his injury, Kyrgios hinted at his participation in the competition earlier this week, saying that he will still be coming to LA and the UTS event. The decision to train Tiafoe was unexpected, given that Kyrgios has been surprisingly uncoached throughout his career. However, because Tiafoe’s coach Wayne Ferreira could not come, the duo decided to collaborate and form an interesting player-coach partnership.
At UTS, all players are accompanied on the court by a coach during their matches, adding an exciting aspect of impromptu player-coach exchanges that have become a broadcast and live experience highlight. The idea of Kyrgios being present in Tiafoe’s corner will surely make fans thrilled. Kyrgios’ involvement in the UTS would have surely increased the two-day tournament’s star appeal, but supporters are now excitedly awaiting his debut as a coach.
What is UTS?
The Ultimate Tennis Showdown, founded in 2020, is a fast-developing international tennis event formed of the pandemic’s disturbances. UTS’s innovative style adds a new twist to regular tennis matches, with four quarters totaling 8 minutes each and limitless time for sudden death. Within the 8-minute time limit, players compete for points in a tie-break style, and the player leading after regular time needs to score one point in sudden death to win the quarter. Conversely, the challenger can pull level without sacrificing a point, requiring a decider. The quarter-winner is the first to reach the target score.
In the unique format UTS, coaches occupy the bench to the side of the court and have microphones to broadcast instructions to their players during the matches. This open coaching display sets the UTS apart from any other traditional tennis tournament.
UTS Los Angeles will be held from July 21 to 23 at Carson’s Dignity Health Sports Park, on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills, with a seating capacity of 7,200. After holding an ATP event from 1968 to 2012, the event marks the return of professional tennis to the greater Los Angeles area.
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Navya Mishra
(407 Articles Published)