UTS Nîmes - players, predictions, format, rules & everything else you need to know
The latest edition of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, UTS Nîmes, will be held from April 4-5, 2025. The fast-paced version of the game has only grown in popularity since its inception. Top players frequently opt to give this version of tennis a go in order to switch things up.
As the format has appealed to the big names, fans have also gathered in large numbers to watch them. The tournament is the brainchild of Patrick Mouratoglou, the ex-coach of Serena Williams and the current coach of Naomi Osaka, and Alex Popyrin, the father of tennis pro Alexei Popyrin.
As the UTS Nîmes is about to get underway, here's everything to know about the tournament:
Players
World No. 4 Taylor Fritz initially headlined the UTS Nîmes player field. Unfortunately, an injury forced him to withdraw. However, there are still plenty of big names in the mix, including top 10 players Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, and Alex de Minaur.
Veteran Gael Monfils, who's playing some of the best tennis of his career at the age of 38, is also in the mix. Ben Shelton opted to forego his title defense at the ongoing U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston in order to compete here. Alexei Popyrin, Ugo Humbert, and Tomas Machac round out the field.
Format
The eight players will go up against each other in knockout rounds. Four quarterfinals will be followed by a couple of semifinal bouts, ultimately concluding with the final.
The four quarterfinals will take place on Friday, April 4, starting at 1:30 p.m. local time. The other two rounds will be held on Saturday, April 5, starting at 12 p.m. Classification matches will also be held to determine who places fifth.
Rules
Match Rules
Each match is divided into four quarters of eight minutes each, with the player winning three of those quarters winning the match as well. An additional fifth quarter in a "sudden death" format is also played if required, in which the first player to win two consecutive points wins the match.
Players compete directly without a warm-up. Each player gets two points on serve. Player A serves for two points, followed by player B for the next two, and so on. Furthermore, players don't get a second serve, and "let" isn't called either.
Players try to score as many points as possible to win a quarter. If at the end of the scheduled time there is a tie, then a deciding point is played to determine the outcome. To make things more exciting, players can use bonus cards. Each card has a special power and can be used once per quarter. It is valid for the very next point after the card is deployed. On-court coaching is allowed as well.
Tournament Rules
The tournament is either held for two days or three days, which decides the format. The UTS Nîmes is a two-day event and, as mentioned earlier, will be contested in the knockout stage format. The three-day version starts with a group stage, followed by the knockout rounds.
League Rules
Each UTS event gives ranking points based on the format and performance of the players. Rankings determine the qualification for the UTS Grand Final to be held later in the year.
UTS Nîmes: Predictions
The first quarterfinal will be held between Andrey Rublev and Ben Shelton. The former has won the UTS twice in the past, while the latter has done the same just once. Both have a comparable win-loss record this season.
The American won their only prior encounter in Basel last year, which was a tight three-set affair. However, Rublev seems to thrive in this format and could one-up Shelton to begin his UTS Nîmes campaign with a win.
Alex de Minaur and Ugo Humbert will contest the second quarterfinal of the day. The Aussie won the most recent edition of the UTS and lead their rivalry 5-2. He has been in great form this season and has the potential to extend his winning record in this rivalry.
Casper Ruud and Alexei Popyrin will meet in the day's third quarterfinal. The latter has a 2-7 record this year, and while the former hasn't been at his very best, his 12-4 record makes him the favorite to win this match.
The remaining quarterfinal will be played between Gael Monfils and Tomas Machac. Both players have a 14-5 record this year. However, the Frenchman has a title to his name, while his younger rival was the runner-up at the Mexican Open. Based on their form, their first career meeting could go either way, though the 38-year-old could turn back the clock once again for a memorable win.
Predictions for the semifinals:
Andrey Rublev def. Casper Ruud
Alex de Minaur def. Gael Monfils
Prediction for the final:
Alex de Minaur def. Andrey Rublev