Tennis fashioned for fans
New event seeking younger audience
PARIS — With discussions ongoing over whether the U.S. Open or the French Open can take place later this year, a new digitally friendly tennis tournament starts Saturday in southern France with four Top 10ranked players involved.
Co-founder Patrick Mouratoglou hopes the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) — whose first edition features ATP Finals winner Stefanos Tsitsipas and U.S. Open semifinalist Matteo Berrettini — can change the way tennis is viewed by allowing a younger audience to access the raw feelings of players.
“I would like the fans to benefit from better access to the players’ emotions, especially on the court where the code of conduct is a significant obstacle to that,” Mouratoglou said. “UTS aims to appeal to a younger, more engaged new generation of fans in order to grow its fan base community.”
Players compete every weekend for five weeks in a round-robin format, their matches streamed on a live platform, with multiple screens, cameras and speakers capturing every sight and sound, according to organizers. And that’s the whole point: allowing viewers unprecedented access to all that goes on in a game. Ramping up the rawness, rather than filtering it out.
Mouratoglou, who is also the coach of 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, founded the UTS with Australian player Alexei Popyrin, who also is playing.
They want to change how tennis is experienced through a faster-pace format featuring more interaction, where on-court coaching is encouraged rather than frowned upon.
“[Players] will interact in real time with their fans, share conversations between themselves and coaches and carry themselves more freely on court,” the UTS said. “Spectators play a role in what unfolds; they interact with the players and can ask questions on changeovers, see what’s happening behind the scenes in the lives of players, and hear every word exchanged between coaches and players.”
That could well turn Benoit Paire into a global online star.
The 30-year-old Frenchman, ranked No. 22, is known as much for his explosive temper and his oncourt rants — often directed at himself — as for his erratic but sometimes ingenious stroke play.
The event is being held at Mouratoglou’s academy near Antibes on the sunsoaked French Riviera. Because of coronavirus restrictions no fans are allowed on site.
The 10th-ranked David Goffin is also playing and the final Top 10 member will be announced this week.
Auger-Aliassime is the youngest at age 19 and is exactly half as old as 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, with whom he shares an Aug. 8 birthday.
Brown, who beat 19-time major winner Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon five years ago, is the oldest player at 35.
Several players live in Monaco, making for convenient access to the tournament considering it is only 30 miles along the coast.
The tournament is not part of the ATP tour circuit and the format and rules have yet to be officially announced, but the games are likely to be shorter.
Tsitsipas, 21, is a flamboyant and emotional player who appeals to a younger audience.
The tall and long-haired Greek player reached the Australian Open semifinals last year and has five career titles.