Alexei Popyrin to feature in new Ultimate Tennis Showdown in France

Australia’s Alexei Popyrin is among the players who will feature in a new independent tennis league to begin next month

Alexei Popyrin will play world No 10 David Goffin in the first round of the new league. Picture: Mark Stewart

Australia’s Alexei Popyrin is among the players who will feature in a new independent tennis league to begin next month near the French Riviera.

The Ultimate Tennis Showdown is the brainchild of Serena Williams’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, and Alexei’s father, Alex Popyrin.

The competition is aimed at resuming tennis in the absence of the WTA and ATP Tours, both suspended until at least mid-July because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Matches will begin on May 16-17 at the Mouratoglou Academy without any fans, with 10 clashes every weekend for five weeks, adding up to a total of 50 fixtures throughout May and June.

World No 103 Popyrin and No 10 David Goffin have been announced as the competitors in the first match.

Supporters worldwide will be able to interact with the players and listen to live conversations as on-court or video coaching will take place in southern France.

“The UTS is simply meant to be an alternative to what already exists,” says Mouratoglou, who coaches 23-times grand slam singles champion Williams among others.

“It’s a platform created to showcase the incredible talent, athleticism and personalities of the wide range of players.

“It offers a new and innovative approach, targeting a younger tennis audience and proposes a different way to distribute the money among the players.”

French President Emmanuel Macron has banned large public events in the country until July 11, but the league says it will abide by social-distancing requirements to protect players and coaches, with minimal on-site staff.

“The UTS defines itself as a player-centric league, and therefore features a system focusing on the redistribution of income among the players. This system could be particularly beneficial for lower-ranked players,” Mouratoglou said.

Alex Popyrin is equally excited about the concept.

“Fans watching at home will feel closer than ever before to the stars of tennis through our engaging format,” he said.

“There’s no doubt the UTS, with thrilling singles matches and millions of US dollars in prizemoney, has the potential to be the world’s most exciting tennis competition.”

Meanwhile, lower-ranked players affected by the game’s shutdown could be the beneficiary of a plan being hatched by the game’s big three. Novak Djokovic has been in touch with fellow ATP Player Council members Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to discuss ways to assist players facing financial struggles.

And that may involve prizemoney from the ATP Finals and the Australian Open going towards a special relief fund.

Player Council chief Djokovic said: “I spoke to Roger and Rafa a few days ago and we had a conversation about the near future of tennis. How we can contribute to help lower-ranked guys who are obviously struggling the most,” the world No 1 said.

“A majority of players ranked between 250 to 700 or 1000 don’t have federation support or sponsors and are independent and left alone.”

Djokovic, a 17-time grand slam champion, said other short-term solutions could include diverting bonus money meant for top players from season-ending events such as the ATP Finals into the relief fund.

“If we don’t have any events (in 2020), maybe next year’s Australian Open prizemoney can be contributed to the fund,” the Serb added. “These guys ranked 250 onwards are the ones making the future of tennis. We have to show them they’re not forgotten.”

Agencies