Top 8 players in the boys’ and girls’ 18U, 16U, 14U, and 12U divisions will qualify for the new 2022 SoCal + Universal Tennis Final 8 Masters
(Palo Alto, Calif.) - Universal Tennis is announcing a co-branded partnership with the SoCal Final 8 Junior Masters Championships, a prestigious junior event taking place in November, and featuring the Top 8 players in boys’ and girls’ 18U, 16U, 14U, and 12U divisions.
“We are excited to announce this partnership with the Southern California region,” said Mark Leschly, Chairman and CEO of Universal Tennis. “Universal Tennis is always happy to collaborate with tennis providers to bring the benefits of the UTR Rating and level-based play to players.”
The road to the Final 8 Junior Masters Championships features 10 SoCal Grand Prix events (Level 3 and Level 4s) running from January through October with event winners receiving points based on level and finish. The Top 4 points leaders will be awarded entry into the SoCal + Universal Tennis Final 8 Masters, along with the Top 4 players by Verified UTR Rating who have competed in a minimum of 1 So Cal Grand Prix event with at least 1 Grand Prix point earned.
“The Final 8 Junior Masters is the pinnacle of our competitive season,” said Trevor Kronemann, Executive Director at USTA Southern California. “We are excited about the opportunity to add a new level of prestige to this Signature Series event, and provide new opportunities for our young players through strategic and innovative partnerships such as this.”
The 64 total person Final 8 Junior Masters Championships will take place Nov. 19-20 using a round-robin eight-player draw format for each of the 18U, 16U, 14U, and 12U boys’ and girls’ divisions. The location will be announced soon.
The Final 8 Masters Championships entries and draws will operate in a new Universal Tennis Digital Club called the Race to the SoCal + Universal Tennis Final 8 Master Championships. Seeding will be based on UTR Rating, the gold standard for college recruitment in the U.S., and the most accurate rating system in the world. An additional highlight for the Final 8 Master Champions is a wild card into an upcoming UTR Pro Tennis Tour event and/or the December 2022 UT Junior National Championships.
Also for the Final 8 Masters Championships, matches will be live-streamed and college recruitment education talks will be held for players and parents.
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About Universal Tennis
The mission of Universal Tennis is to connect and grow the sport with innovative events and a global digital marketplace centered around level-based play. The Universal Tennis Engagement Platform is anchored by the UTR Rating, the world’s most accurate singles and doubles tennis rating system. Universal Tennis provides the tools and solutions to make the UTR Rating relevant and valuable to players, coaches, and organizers in their local tennis communities. Universal Tennis is creating opportunities and pathways for players from all over the world, in all stages of life, to find better matches and unlock a more fun and flexible tennis experience. Go to UniversalTennis.com to sign up, activate your player profile and join the global tennis community. Watch our video and connect on social @UniversalTennis to learn more.
About the USTA SoCal Final 8 Junior Masters Championships
The road to the Final 8 Junior Masters Championships started in January with a brand new points race feeding the top Southern California juniors into the coveted Final 8 round-robin competition. In each of 10 tournaments in 2022, players have the opportunity to compile valuable Grand Prix points that will determine who qualifies for the Final 8. Grand Prix event winners will receive 300 points at a Level 3 tournament and 200 points at a Level 4 event, with point totals also awarded to finishers who reach at least the round of 32. The Final 8 Junior Masters Championship, a Signature Series event, will be an unsanctioned tournament that counts towards earning a Level 1 national tournament wild card and other awards.
Media Contacts:
Ben Makarenko: bmakarenko@universaltennis.com