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This month on the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT) saw Universal Tennis help host 11 events in the U.S., the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Italy.
The PTT has hosted over 20,000 professional matches in 25 countries worldwide since launching in 2021. Every PTT event has at least $25K in financial commitment with higher guaranteed payouts for players than $25K ITF events. The first half of the 2023 calendar will bring the total PTT prize money to $9 million and events to over 460.
For players looking to register, 61 events have just been added to the 2023 UTR Pro Tennis Tour calendar — see the updated schedule here.
Let's take a closer look at some of the champions.
Popko Shines in Boca
Dimitry Popko has been playing professional tennis for years, reaching as high as No. 162 on the ATP Tour in 2021 and appearing in all four Grand Slams. He set his sights on the PTT this year, playing the Boca Raton PTT $25K at the Rick Macci Academy. The 26-year-old dropped one set in six matches for his first PTT and first pro title in two years (since winning an ATP Challenger in 2021).
Buoyed by momentum from so much match play, Popko went to nearby Pensacola for an ITF $25K and won the tournament the following week. It's his 19th overall as he works to climb back up the ranks.
Chang Wins in Newport
Another professional with tour experience took home a PTT title over in Newport Beach. Hanna Chang captured the PTT $25K during the first week of May without losing more than three games in any set. She had previously won a Newport Beach PTT title in January 2021.
Like Popko, Chang used the week of match play to prepare for more professional tournaments, and like Popko, it worked. Just a few weeks later, Chang won an ITF W25K in Goyang, South Korea for her first ITF title win since 2019 and fifth overall.
Teen Svajda Finishes on Top
Just 17 years old, Trevor Svajda snagged the first-place finish at the $25K PTT in Newport during the second week of May. The younger brother of pro Zach Svajda, Trevor won all six of his PTT matches in straight sets. Trevor had been close to first place before having reached the final of the Newport PTT in March.
Weightman Prevails in Essex
Barry Fulcher's Progress Tour hosted yet another PTT event, this time in Woodford Green in East London during the week of May 15-21. Oscar Weightman won the event, beating fellow Brit Luka Petrovic in the final.
Dutch Stars Win in The Netherlands
In The Netherlands, Tulip Tennis Hilversum hosted a men's and women's PTT $25K on outdoor red clay courts. Elgin Khoeblal won the men's title, while Isis Louise van den Broek captured the women's. The Netherlands is one of 25 countries hosting UTR Pro Tennis Tour events, with three new countries added in 2023 (Costa Rica, Canada, and Taiwan).
May 2023 Winners
Isis Louise Van Den Broek - Week of April 30, Netherlands
Elgin Khoeblal - Week of April 30, Netherlands
Juan Carlos Aguilar - Week of April 30, Boca Raton
Hanna Chang - Week of April 30, Newport Beach
Dmitry Popko - Week of May 8, Boca Raton
Trevor Svajda - Week of May 8, Newport Beach
Oscar Weightman - Week of May 15, United Kingdom
Georgia Andreea Craciun - Week of May 22, Italy
Jamie Connel - Week of May 22, Bradenton
Alina Shcherbinina - Week of May 22, Newport Beach
Arda Azkara - Week of May 22, Newport Beach
About the UTR Pro Tennis Tour
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 4-5 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.