Valentin Vacherot ousts Novak Djokovic in Shanghai to become lowest-ranked ATP Masters 1000 finalist

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) and its disruptive presentation provided plenty of tennis entertainment for viewers to consume.

Over a five-week period, the likes of Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini were among the competitors to try out the quick-paced format behind closed doors in Nice, France. Eight-minute quarters, player nicknames, in-match interviews, no second serves, relaxed code of conduct, sudden death tiebreaker and bonus cards (remember being able to hit a winner for three points?) were among the conditions and innovations.

Having staged three more editions across 2020 and 2021, organizers used this year to plan for a bigger undertaking. Come 2023, UTS is set to bring back its fresh take on the sport through a global four-event series.

“Our first approach with UTS was to validate the proof of concept. Then in 2022, we raised capital to run the events in front of a real crowd,” said event founder Patrick Mouratoglou in a press release.

Berrettini poses with the event's lightning bolt trophy.

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“In 2023, we are finally ready to provide a league of four events with a lot of novelties. I cannot give too much away, but the roster will be impressive.”

While the lineup and host cities are due to be revealed down the road, the general schedule is available to mark down on calendars.

July 20-23: U.S.
September 14-17: Europe
November 30 - December 3: Asia – Middle East
December 7-10: Asia – Middle East

The fourth installment will serve as the Grand Final.

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