Palo Alto, CA, Nov. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Universal Tennis has announced the release of the first six months of the 2023 UTR Pro Tennis Tour calendar for the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The initial 2023 schedule features 90 events, up from 63 events in the first half of 2022. Additional events will be announced soon.
“Over the last two years, the UTR Pro Tennis Tour has made a significant impact on the pro tennis landscape, and we will bring even more opportunities for aspiring pros in 2023,” said Mark Leschly, Chairman and CEO of Universal Tennis. “We have established a strong foundation for the tour, expanding into new locations and providing players a fantastic way to earn money and improve their game.”
The UTR Pro Tennis Tour launched in January 2021 with a three-year investment of $20 million (USD) to provide players with $25K events that guarantee four competitive matches per week. Demonstrating the global growth in demand for the round-robin format, the tour has expanded from an initial set of 15 countries in 2021 to 25 in 2023. New host countries in 2022 included the United Kingdom, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, India, Italy, and Slovakia. In the first half of 2023, events in Canada and Costa Rica will also go live.
Every UTR PTT event has at least $25K in financial commitment with higher guaranteed payouts for players than $25K ITF events. Players are also benefiting from an increase in events offering full hospitality in 2023. These locations include the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico. The first half of the 2023 calendar will bring the total PTT prize money to $9 million, events to over 460, and competitive, level-based matches to 25,000 since inception.
The PTT continues to deliver a new pathway to aspiring pro players in the 200-2,000 ranking range by providing the most effective opportunities to improve their game. Players use the tour to develop and move up to the ATP/WTA and Grand Slam level. Many PTT players have competed at Grand Slams, including Top 200-ranked ATP and WTA pros Ben Shelton, Taylor Townsend, Jenson Brooksby, Irina Bara, Katie Volynets, Marcela Zacarias, and Li Tu, as well as rising teenagers Liv Hovde, Martin Damm, and Learner Tien.
“There’s a difference between training and getting some matches under your belt,” said five-time PTT champion Tu. “It was so good that the format is round-robin. I was just keen that, no matter what, you get four to six matches every week. Being able to play PTTs and train, compete, save money, and then go play abroad, it’s game-changing.”
For more information on the UTR Pro Tennis Tour, click here.
To view the UTR Pro Tennis Tour 2023 calendar (PDF), click here.
About Universal Tennis
The mission of Universal Tennis is to connect and grow the sport of tennis through innovative events, a global digital marketplace, and level-based play. This goal is anchored by the UTR Rating, the world’s most accurate tennis rating system. Universal Tennis provides the tools and solutions to make the UTR Rating relevant and valuable to players, coaches, and organizers in their local tennis communities. Players from all over the world, in all stages of life, can find better matches and unlock a more fun and flexible tennis experience through Universal Tennis. Go to universatennis.com to sign up, activate your player profile and join the global tennis community. Watch our video and connect on social @UniversalTennis.
About UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT)
The UTR Pro Tennis Tour officially began on January 1, 2021, with a three-year commitment of over $20M to support tennis globally with prize money, venue support, technology, logistics, and competitive play opportunities. Universal Tennis is the owner and organizing body of the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT), with responsibility for its Rules and Regulations, Code of Conduct, Tournament Format, and related streaming and commercial rights. The UTR Pro Tennis Tour was started to create a development tour. With fewer events and substantially reduced prize money, aspiring professional players are increasingly struggling in the pursuit of their dreams. Working with host venues and national Federations, Universal Tennis provides additive and complementary opportunities to help emerging players and the broader tennis community.
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