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On Sunday, Jennifer Luikham won the $25K UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT) event in New Delhi to become the first player to win a PTT crown in India. India is one of eight new host countries in 2022, and providers will next host a men’s $25K PTT in Chennai.
Navigating to Her First Pro Tennis Trophy
Luikham was pushed to three sets twice, in her first round-robin match and in a 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 win over Jagmeet Kaur Grewal in the semifinals. As a reward for her great week of pro tennis on the court at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association Complex, Luikham (UTR Rating 10.33) picked up a $3,600 check, the biggest purse of her career.
“I’m happy with how I’m playing lately, but lots of things to build on at the same time,” Luikham said in an interview with Indian Tennis Daily.
Luikham, a 23-year-old Indian with a WTA ranking of No. 721, trains at the RoundGlass Tennis Academy in Chandigarh (about 160 miles from the PTT event site). She won all six of her matches to capture her first-ever pro tennis title in her PTT debut, defeating 17-year-old Suhitha Maruri 6-3, 6-3.
“It’s been a splendid week; I am happy that I have finally won the UTR tournament. It’s my first, and to win the first, it’s an amazing feeling,” Luikham said. “I think it’s a brilliant way of bringing some of the top players together to play one another and have some great match practice which is rewarded with prize money as well.”
Getting to Compete at Home
The PTT delivers value to aspiring pro players ranked 200-2000 in the PTT rankings (based on UTR Rating). Players can boost their earnings and improve their game with an innovative format guaranteeing prize money and multiple matches. Along with India, the other new PTT host countries in 2022 include Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Japan, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom.
The New Delhi PTT was Luikham’s first home event since March after spending four months playing ITF W15’s in Monastir, Tunisia, reaching the semifinals three times and a final once.
Since starting in 2021, the PTT has created nearly 20,000 competitive, level-based matches, and by year's end, events will have been hosted in 23 countries globally, providing over $7 million in prize money.
India will host its first-ever men’s $25K PTT Dec. 18-24 in Chennai. Registration closes on Dec. 5.
Learn More About the PTT
The PTT is open to players with a UTR Ranking of 200-2000, and wild cards can be awarded to those players with a UTR Ranking of 1-199 or above 2000. Every PTT event creates matchplay opportunities for up-and-coming, collegiate, and pro players thanks to a unique round-robin format. At every event, a group round-robin stage is followed by a World Cup-style playoff, guaranteeing multiple matches and counting all results towards the UTR Rating, the most accurate rating system in tennis. Every PTT event offers 4-6 matches and a minimum of $20,000 in prize money with an earnings guarantee for every participant.
For more information about UTR PTT and to see all of the results, click here.