"We all try to win that big check": UTS, Patrick Mouratoglou's show that electrifies tennis

Created by Patrick Mouratoglou, UTS transforms tennis into a total spectacle: frenetic pace, innovative rules, and dizzying rewards.

© Arne Dedert - dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP

Jules Hypolite

le 04/12/2025 à 20h34

2 min to read

De Extraits de Dossiers

The UTS, a competition created in 2020 by Patrick Mouratoglou, offers particularly attractive rewards each year during its finals weekend held in December in London. The total prize money reaches 1.6 million euros, with a check that can climb up to 500,000 euros for the winner.

Designed above all for entertainment, the format focuses on immediate intensity rather than duration. Players compete in eight-minute quarters – three won are enough to win the match – with only one serve allowed, some points worth triple, and no breaks between exchanges.

"We all try to win that big check at the end of the week"

A model that allows for a fast pace without requiring the physical effort of a traditional match and which, for example, convinced Alex de Minaur to participate:

"It's exciting and different, it gives you a different perspective on how to play points. UTS tournaments are well-paid, which makes them very competitive. We all try to win that big check at the end of the week, it motivates everyone."

Today, exhibitions are no longer just brief interludes nestled in the heart of the off-season. They serve as both an additional source of income, a testing ground for new shorter and more spectacular formats, and a platform for player exposure, at a time when the official season should be giving way to rest.

The full investigation available this weekend

Find the full investigation "Saturated calendar, multiplied exhibitions: the paradox dividing tennis during the off-season" on TennisTemple the weekend of December 6-7.