Serena Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou is to launch an independent tennis league next month with professionals playing matches without spectators.
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The brainchild of Mouratoglou and Australian Alex Popyrin, the inaugural edition of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) aims to create a new way of showing tennis in the absence of the WTA and ATP Tours, both suspended until at least mid-July because of coronavirus.
Australian No.6 Alexei Popyrin, the son Alex, and World No.10 David Goffin, have been announced as the first match competitors.
"Fans watching at home will feel closer than ever before to the stars of tennis through our engaging format," co-founder Popyrin said.
"There's no doubt the UTS, with thrilling single matches and millions of US dollars in prize money, has the potential to be the world's most exciting tennis competition."
Supporters worldwide will be able to interact with the players and listen to live conversations as on-court or video coaching will take place at the Mouratoglou Academy, located near the French Riviera.
"The UTS is simply meant to be an alternative to what already exists," tournament co-founder Mouratoglou, who coaches 23-times Grand Slam singles champion Williams among others, said in the statement.
"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."
The tournament will begin on May 16-17 and 10 matches will be held every weekend for five weeks, accounting for a total 50 matches throughout May and June.
French president Emmanuel Macron this week 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.
Ten matches are scheduled to be held every weekend for five weeks, starting from May 16.
"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 added.
Australian Associated Press
