UTS Grand Final: Looking Back At 2023

Since its inception back in June 2020, UTS (Ultimate Showdown Tennis) has been taking the tennis world by storm, creating countless breathtaking matches and memorable moments that make it so unique and different to the traditional game as we know it.

One of the most notable moments in UTS’s short lifespan was the grand finale of 2023, hosted in London in mid-December.

And with this year's Grand Final returning to London in 2024, we wanted to take a look back at the event so we can better understand what to expect in December 2024.

What Happened in London 2023?

After the unfortunate cancellation of the UTS Seoul event earlier in the month, all eyes were focused on the London Grand Final, which took place from 15 to 17 December at London’s ExCel arena.

The field was stacked with exciting prospects and crowd favourites - and we certainly weren’t disappointed by the action on display. The players were compiled from a range of criteria, with players like Andrey Rublev and Wu Yibing qualifying by winning previous UTS events throughout the year (Rublev won Frankfurt, Yibing won Los Angeles.) Other notable competitors were Gael Monfils, Benoit Paire, and Diego Schwartzman, all of which qualified from their positions in the UTS rankings race, which has been extremely tight all season long.

The remainder of the line-up was made up of wild card entries, which included Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, and Great Britain’s very own Jack Draper.
With such a shining list of competitors, the action was a treat to witness, with some incredibly innovative and unique shots displayed to give the crowd lots to cheer about.
The fast-paced nature of UTS tennis kept the London crowd engaged to say the least, causing plenty of noise and atmosphere to echo around the arena, especially when watching the home star Jack Draper.

In fact, Draper displayed exceptional skill and composure throughout the competition, ultimately coming out on top in front of a raucous home crowd which was the icing on the cake for the Brit to achieve and take home the impressive trophy.

What Can We Expect in London 2024?

The high quality and skill that was on show at London 2023 is sure to be replicated in 2024, something that drives fans to this tournament and makes it such a highly anticipated ticket to secure. Many hope that it will be just as exciting as last year, if not even more so, and we’re pretty sure by the line-up that we’ve seen in 2024 so far that this may even be exceeded!
But while the city may not have changed, many other aspects of the UTS Grand Final have done. For instance, this year, the Grand Final will be held at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 6 to 8 December 2024. This exciting new venue is perfect for the tournament, and is going to host some pretty remarkable tennis stars. But the venue isn’t the only aspect that will change, with the expected prize money almost doubling from the winnings Draper received last year. This year, the champion could earn almost $1m from the event, so expect the action to be high quality and the event to be bigger and better than ever.

 

That said, there are other much loved features of the UTS Grand Final that will remain, such as mic'd-up players and coaches, live interviews, and plenty of entertainment elements like DJs and MCs on the court, creating an engaging and dynamic atmosphere for both players and spectators to enjoy.

 

Players to Watch

While the entire lineup for the finals is yet to be decided, there are several key players who have already taken key positions in the standings as they attempt to qualify for the Grand Final in London this season…

 

Andrey Rublev

Having recently won in Oslo, Rublev’s confidence is likely to be sky-high - and so it should be. The innovative shot maker’s game is perfect for UTS, and he shows time and time again why he is one of the very best at this format of the game.

 

Nick Kyrgios

Can you have a few tennis players to watch that don’t include the exciting Aussie? No one can deny his stroke play and tennis ability, and he is always a joy to watch when he is in full flow, thanks to his blistering power and meticulous accuracy.

 

Casper Ruud

It would be rude not to include his name in this list (sorry for the pun) after a strong showing in Oslo and a consistency in this format of the game that will be the envy of some of his competitors. Only time will tell whether or not he can step up and win it all, but he’ll certainly be doing everything he can to do so.

Your Tickets to the Grand Final

Tickets for our VIP experiences are now on sale for this year’s Grand Final in London, but given the excitement and anticipation that was generated last year, don’t expect them to be available for long as we will see great demand!

To create a truly memorable experience at the tennis, why not check out our Premium Lounge experience? It gets you close to the action, with a wide variety of food, drinks, and snacks and a view of the action that will leave you as the envy of the competition. You won’t miss a shot while enjoying this premium experience.

You can check out our tickets in more detail here – see you at the Copper Box Arena!