Australia’s pro tennis players will have the opportunity to compete for $450,000 prize money in a new domestic series starting this weekend.
The UTR Pro Tennis Series will feature stops in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, starting in Sydney on Saturday 27 June, with Brisbane and Melbourne competitions getting underway on Monday 29 June.
“With so much of the tennis season still uncertain, our aim through the UTR Pro Tennis Series is to give as many of our athletes the chance to compete and, importantly, also earn prize money, after months of not being able to make their living playing the sport they have devoted their lives to,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley explained.
“Our team has put an enormous amount of time and effort into the planning of these events, and have worked closely with the authorities and tennis staff around the country on the ground to ensure they are run according to strict local biosecurity protocols.”
The first phase of the UTR Pro Tennis Series will run until August, with the possibility of extending further depending on the resumption of the global tours (ATP/WTA/ITF).
Event organizers have worked closely within government guidelines in each state to ensure physical distancing rules are in place, along with additional hygiene and safety precautions. On-court personnel will be limited, with a chair umpire, minimal lines-people and no ballkids. Players will bring their own towels.
Players will enter using their Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), giving them an opportunity to compete locally and have their results count globally via the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) system.
“We are excited to work with Tennis Australia to bring the UTR Pro Tennis Series to the country and provide an innovative way for professionals to compete close to home safely and have their results count on a global scale,” Universal Tennis Chairman and CEO Mark Leschly said.
“Every tennis player – from social and league players to pros – in Australia can use Universal Tennis to measure their competitive ability. Players who have participated in Tennis Australia comps and tournaments already have a UTR, and can view their rating and register for events on MyUTR.com for free.”
