The final edition of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in 2024 will take place from December 6th to 8th in London, and Holger Rune and Andrey Rublev are among the men confirmed for the event.
UTS is an exhibition that is held outside the ATP Tour. The first iteration, won by Matteo Berrettini, was played in 2020 due to the disruption to the tennis calendar caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some fans and players are attracted by how the UTS format differs from ATP and WTA tournaments. Each match is divided into timed quarters, and there is a 15-second shot clock between points.
Players are also allowed to take one coaching timeout per set. The ITF's decision to allow off-court coaching in 2025 means it has moved closer to the UTS, but it is still not identical.
Three UTS editions have already been played in 2024. Andrey Rublev, who made himself bleed during a concerning meltdown at the Paris Masters, and Gael Monfils won the first two held this year in Oslo and New York.
Ben Shelton beat Ugo Humbert to win the third UTS of 2024 in October. The American needed an exceptional comeback to overcome the Frenchman, who also reached the final of the Paris Masters last week.
The third edition was slightly overshadowed by the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia, but there was still much great tennis played. Fortunately for the fans in London, the lineup means the final UTS of the year could be even better.
Holger Rune is one of the players confirmed for the 12th UTS since its inception. His final appearance of the 2024 season was at the Paris Masters, where he lost to the eventual champion Alexander Zverev in the semifinal.
Rune subsequently withdrew from the ongoing Moselle Open, meaning his next appearance on the court will be at UTS 12. The Dane finished as the runner-up to Jack Draper the last time the UTS was held in London in 2023.
Although the 21-year-old played well at the Paris Masters, his former coach, Boris Becker, agreed with Jim Courier's stinging critique of his immature game. Rune, working with Lars Christensen for a third time, hopes to respond to those critiques next season.
Casper Ruud, who is set to play two exhibition matches against Rune during the off-season, has also committed to playing at UTS. The Norwegian is currently locked in a tight race to qualify for the ATP Finals.
Rublev and Alex de Minaur, the two other men fighting to qualify for the ATP Finals this week, have also agreed to appear at the UTS in December. Rublev is competing at the Moselle Open in Metz this week, while Alex de Minaur chose to play at the Belgrade Open.
Monfils will also travel to London for the next edition of the UTS. The Frenchman remains one of the most entertaining players to watch in tennis and often thrives in the UTS format, as he showed by winning the edition in New York.
Humbert, Denis Sahpovalov, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Alexander Bublik are the other confirmed players.
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