Wimbledon has kicked off this week with the qualifying event in Roehampton, and a number of UTR Pro Tennis Tour players are part of the action.
The UTR Pro Tennis Tour (also known as the PTT) was launched in 2021 by UTR Sports as a developmental tour for aspiring pros. Each $25K tournament offers guaranteed prize money and multiple matches (thanks to the unique round-robin format) in cities around the world. There have been over 670 events held in 28 countries awarding more than $14M in prize money.
Any player in the 200-2,000 ranking (by UTR Rating) is eligible to register for a PTT — see the full schedule here. Over 100 players who have competed on the PTT have also appeared at the Grand Slam level.
This week’s Wimbledon women’s qualifying draw features a number of PTT players looking to win three matches to secure their places in the main draw, including Katie Volynets, Kayla Day, Kimberly Birrell, Gabriela Knutson, Darja Semenistaja, Irina Bara, McCartney Kessler, Taylah Preston, and Yuliia Starodubtseva.
Knutson, who represents the Czech Republic, used the PTT to gauge her level as she weighed turning pro versus getting a full-time job after college.
“On the PTT, I was really enjoying myself,” Knutson told UTR Sports. “I saw that you can go pro, make it fun, and travel. It’s not this really stressful be-all-end-all thing where you either are Top 10 in the world or you failed. With PTT, you can go and enjoy the experience, which was eye-opening.”
Semenistaja has won six PTT titles over the years, Bara and Starodubtseva have each won one, while Kessler has appeared in three PTT finals.
Taylor Townsend is one of the most famous former PTT stars featuring the main draw. In 2022, she won the PTT $25K crown in Bradenton when she kicked off her comeback to professional tennis after having her son.
“I have the medal hanging up on my mantle because it meant so much to me,” she told UTR Sports. “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 that I was going to win it.”
The 28-year-old will also be a favorite in the Wimbledon doubles draw with partner Katerina Sinakova. The Wimbledon main draw kicks off on Monday, July 1, with draws revealed this Friday.
