UTR Sports is excited to release the first half of the 2024 UTR Pro Tennis Tour calendar with 90 $25K events, 15 of which offer full hospitality. Events offering aspiring pros guaranteed prize money and multiple matches each week will take place across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Looking for the calendar and how to register? Click here.
Household names have competed on the PTT and achieved success at the ATP/WTA and Grand Slam levels.
Alex Michelsen, a finalist at the ATP 250 in Newport, R.I. this summer, got his first taste of pro tennis on the PTT in 2021. He would win two PTT titles in 2022 before quickly rising up the ATP rankings.
“The way it’s structured is great because it’s a minimum of three or four matches, and high-level players come in,” Michelsen said. “When I first played PTT, I got absolutely stumped. The guys were so good. I still got some money, which was cool.”
US Open semi finalist Ben Shelton and two-time Grand Slam finalist Taylor Townsend have also competed on the PTT. After taking time off to welcome her first child, Townsend’s first tournament back in 2022 was a PTT event in Bradenton, Fla.
"I have the medal hanging up on my mantle because it meant so much to me," Townsend said. "It took so much to get to that place where I was able to compete again, and I didn't think that going into that tournament I was going to win it."
Recent US Open doubles champion Erin Routliffe (pictured with Gabriela Dabrowski) was a PTT finalist in 2021 and strongly recommends the tour.
“I would definitely recommend the tournaments. They were really great,” Routliffe said. “I really liked that you were guaranteed matches. At the end of the week, it was pretty exhausting because of all the matches. But that's kind of what you want, you want to be getting better.”
The PTT is a pathway for aspiring pro players in the 200-2,000 ranking range and has also given rising young stars such as 2022 junior Wimbledon champion Liv Hovde, 2023 NCAA singles champion Ethan Quinn, Zachary Svajda, and Learner Tien the developmental opportunities needed to launch their careers.
Demonstrating the global growth in demand for its unique round-robin format, the PTT has expanded from an initial set of 15 countries in 2021 to 25. Every event has at least $25K in financial commitment and full hospitality in 2024 is being offered in the United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, and Mexico. The PTT is live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video, making it possible to watch from anywhere. The PTT is expanding even more into the Asia & Pacific region with 34 events in Australia, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. Additional events for the 2024 calendar will be announced soon.
About UTR Sports (Universal Tennis)
The mission of UTR Sports, formerly Universal Tennis, is to connect and grow the sports of tennis and pickleball with accurate global ratings, innovative events, and a global community centered around level-based play. The UTR Sports Platform is anchored by our patented ratings technology. UTR Sports provides the technology tools and solutions relevant and valuable to players, coaches, and organizers. UTR Sports is creating opportunities and pathways, including the UTR Pro Tennis Tour, for players from all over the world, in all stages of life, to find better matches and unlock a more fun, affordable, and flexible experience.
About the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT)
The UTR Pro Tennis Tour officially began on January 1, 2021 to support tennis globally with prize money, venue support, technology, logistics, and competitive play opportunities. Universal Tennis, LLC 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, PTT provides additive and complementary opportunities to help emerging players and the broader tennis community.