“The goal of UTS is mostly to bring new fans to tennis and younger fans, but of course, any tennis fan is more than welcome,” Patrick Mouratoglou, UTS founder and former coach of Serena Williams, said back in November 2024. Founded in 2020 alongside businessman Alex Poprin to shake up tennis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it’s been about attracting younger fans with its cool format and rules. For the last five years, UTS events have been held in various locations, including France, Belgium, the United States, Germany, South Korea, the UK, Norway, and more. Now it’s becoming bigger than ever as the event’s turnout on Saturday shocked former American pros!
The event at Bastide Médical UTS Nîmes 2025 kicked off with a bang on April 4, setting the stage for a thrilling weekend. A record-breaking crowd of 8,000 fans packed Les Arènes de Nîmes, a stunning ancient amphitheatre, to witness the quarterfinals. But the excitement was just beginning, Saturday revealed an even larger crowd of 12,500, shattering the new record in style. The breathtaking drone footage of the venue, shared on UTS’s Instagram, caught the attention of the ‘Nothing Major’ podcast hosts.
The 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist, Sam Querrey, called the packed amphitheatre “unreal.” He said, “The amphitheatre, the photos, it looked as close as to what you get from like a gladiator back in the day in the current day tennis.” What makes him think this event is working so well? He added, “UTS are strategically picking good weeks, good days in the calendar, I was kind of with you, John, if you asked me this question 3 years ago, I’d be like, ‘It’s alright, it’ll probably fizzle out.’ but no, it’s still going.”
In UTS, matches are divided into four eight-minute quarters. Players serve just once per point, and let calls are eliminated to keep the pace fast. To add an extra layer of strategy, players can use bonus cards, which can make a single point worth three. Additionally, with top players like Gael Monfils, Andrey Rublev, Ugo Humbert, Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Alex De Minaur, and Ben Shelton, it’s the perfect spot to catch your favorite player in one day!
Steve Johnson chimed in, noting that it’s “extremely smart for these guys to do it in one day fashion.” He further elaborated, “Get everybody that wants to watch tennis there on one day. Sometimes we feel as if these tournaments that stretch out for seven days, 14 days. You just spread out the fans over the course of a week or two weeks and to get everybody there, in that amphitheatre, 12,500 people, it looked incredible.”
This event wasn’t just jam-packed but also marked Casper Ruud’s first win as he defeated Tomas Machac in the final round with a 12-13, 16-14, 15-14, 15-11 victory! Sam also praised his photo at the end, noting how incredible Ruud looked holding up the iconic Zeus trophy in front of the cheering fans, who were vocal throughout the day, enjoying top-class tennis as well as gorgeous weather.
But how did Patrick Mouratoglou pull off this successful event? Well, he says that his former mentee, Serena Williams, gave him some good advice.
Patrick Mouratoglou knew UTS was a good idea, thanks to Serena!
Back in 2020, Mouratoglou revealed that Serena Williams gave him some crucial advice as he was launching the Ultimate Tennis Showdown. He recalled, “Before I started and I had this idea, I called her and said this is what I’m going to do. First of all, she’s always super supportive to what I’m doing, extremely nice. We have a very good relationship, so she is supporting.” Serena’s advice was clear: involve women from the start. Mouratoglou initially thought he could delay this, but Serena insisted, “No, you have to involve women at UTS 1.” She also shared some innovative rule ideas that he incorporated into the event.
Serena’s advice led to the introduction of a women’s event during UTS’s second edition in 2020. This featured a four-player field with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Ons Jabeur, Alizé Cornet, and Brenda Fruhvirtova. Pavlyuchenkova won the inaugural women’s title by defeating Alizé Cornet. Although this was the last time a dedicated women’s event was held, Serena’s input had a lasting impact. She praised Mouratoglou’s entrepreneurial spirit, recalling that she said, “You have such an entrepreneur mind, it’s unbelievable.” Her enthusiasm was palpable as she noted, “It looks fun, it looks amazing.”
Today, UTS is thriving, with a growing fan base and increasing recognition. Initially met with skepticism, UTS has won over many with its innovative format and strategic scheduling. As of 2024, UTS has hosted events in Oslo, New York, Frankfurt, and London, attracting top players like Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. With Serena’s advice still resonating, UTS continues to push boundaries and attract new fans to tennis.
Now Mouratoglou will bring this energy to its Asian debut in Hong Kong in October 2025 – featuring Andrey Rublev, Alex de Minaur, and Zhang Zhizhen. Will it surpass the record it set in Nimes? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post “Like a Gladiator”- Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Draws Rave Reviews With ‘Unreal’ UTS Event in Nimes appeared first on EssentiallySports.
