Rackets Academy in Dubai, UAE becomes the first location to host a UTR Pro Tennis Tour event in the region
(Palo Alto, Calif.) - Universal Tennis and Rackets Academy announce that the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT) is coming to Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with two back-to-back men’s $30,000 events starting on January 3, 2022. With Universal Tennis and Rackets Academy partnering together, the Dubai events provide the highest available prize money on the Pro Tennis Tour. In addition to increased prize money, all hotel accommodations will be covered for players to ease travel expenses. Women’s PTT events will also be hosted in Dubai in the spring with dates to be announced soon.
“We are delighted to partner with Universal Tennis to host the first-ever UTR Pro Tennis Tour in the Middle East in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates,” said Amer Salah, Founder of Rackets Academy. "One of our primary goals is to create opportunities for local and regional players to compete at the highest level and UTR PTT will do that by awarding four wild cards to the winners of our annual championship in December. This is yet another example of Universal Tennis' commitment to leveling out the playing field and giving all aspiring players a chance to pursue their dreams. We would also like to thank the UAE Tennis Federation, Dubai Tourism, and Dubai Sports Council for their unrelenting support."
The PTT continues to deliver value to aspiring pro players in the top 2000 by providing a way to boost their earnings and improve their game with an innovative format guaranteeing prize money and at least 4-6 matches. The PTT has offered over 7,900 competitive, level-based matches in over 16 countries globally and provided over $3,000,000 (USD) in prize money to date in 2021.
“The PTT is about giving local opportunities for players to earn prize money and play more matches. Expanding into the Middle East is just another example of how we are fulfilling that global vision” said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman and CEO. “Rackets Academy is a truly fantastic partner and we are looking forward to hosting our PTT players at what will be great events.”
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About UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT)
The UTR Pro Tennis Tour officially began on January 1, 2021, with a three-year commitment of over $20M to support tennis globally with prize money, venue support, technology, logistics, and competitive play opportunities. Universal Tennis is the owner and organizing body of the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT), with responsibility for its Rules and Regulations, Code of Conduct, Tournament Format and related streaming and commercial rights. The UTR Pro Tennis Tour was started to create a development tour. With fewer events and substantially reduced prize money, aspiring professional players were increasingly struggling in the pursuit of their dreams. Working with host venues and national Federations, Universal Tennis provides additive and complementary opportunities to help emerging players and the broader tennis community.
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 Rackets Academy
Rackets Academy was established with the primary objective of providing tennis training programs that adhere to the highest international standards and thus providing uncompromised benefit to the players. Keeping in mind the progressive development viewpoint, Rackets Academy has designed a program that will systematically guide a player through the many stages of the tennis game with a clear path to advancement. The programs are offered in some of the best venues in Dubai and are taught by highly experienced coaches handpicked from all over the world.
Media Contacts Universal Tennis:
Ben Makarenko: bmakarenko@universaltennis.com
Nina Pantic: npantic@universaltennis.com
Media Contacts Rackets Academy:
Amer Salah: amer@racketsacademy.ae