Another month brings another roundup of UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT) winners that includes familiar faces and rising stars. Last month saw former WTA world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva win her first PTT trophy, while February featured two former ATP Top 150 standouts and a new WTA superstar.
The UTR Pro Tennis Tour was created by UTR Sports (formerly Universal Tennis) in 2021. Each $25,000 PTT event guarantees aspiring professional players ranked 200-2,000 with prize money and multiple matches. Since 2023, matches have been aired live on Amazon Prime Video.
Kessler Breaks Through on WTA Tour
McCartney Kessler is a three-time PTT finalist and is now officially a WTA champion. The 24-year-old University of Florida grad won the WTA 125K in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as a lucky loser. Kessler took out fellow PTT player Taylah Preston in the final, and had just captured the ITF W60 in Rome, Ga. the week prior. Her month of stellar success has catapulted her WTA ranking to No. 120.
Rubin Returns to Winning Ways
Noah Rubin, once ranked as high as No. 125 on the ATP Tour, swept the PTT $25K in Boca Raton, Fla. last week. Rubin didn’t drop a set all week and didn’t drop a game in the semifinals or finals. Having briefly entertained a pro pickleball career, the 28-year-old is in the midst of giving his pro tennis career another shot.
Teens Thrive on UTR Pro Tennis Tour
Earlier in February, 18-year-old Mikel Anderson won the first PTT of the month hosted in Boca. The high school senior has committed to Arizona State University for college. Another teen, 15-year-old Julie Pastikova, won her first PTT title in the Czech Republic. The youngster defeated former WTA No. 30 Michaella Krajicek in the semifinals.
Laskutova Wins Yet Again
In Dubai, Ksenia Laskutova picked up her eighth PTT title by beating Maja Radenkovic in the championship match. Kastukova also reached the final the week prior in Dubai, falling to Kamilla Bartone. In men’s Dubai action, Lukas Rosol finished in first place along with Grigoriy Lomakin when the final wasn’t completed. The 38-year-old Rosol has had an illustrious career, reaching an ATP high of No. 26 and winning two ATP titles.