Hong Kong to host Ultimate Tennis Showdown, with Zhang, Rublev among stars confirmed
Hong Kong's Kai Tak Arena will host a tennis event with a difference in October, bringing eight of the world's best men's players to town, organisers confirmed on Saturday.
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The city has been awarded hosting rights for a stage of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), a shortened, fast-paced form of the sport with time limits and players encouraged to show their personality.
China's top men's player Zhang Zhizhen has been confirmed for the event, along with the world's No 9 and 10, in Russia's Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur of Australia. There will be a total of US$1.1 million in prize money, with Rublev chasing further success in the city to add to his triumph in last year's Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open.
Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (HKCTA), welcomed the announcement, made on Saturday at the second UTS event of the year, in Nimes, in the south of France.
Andrey Rublev plays in the UTS finals at London's Excel Centre in 2023. Photo: Action Images via Reuters
'UTS Hong Kong marks UTS' first-ever event in Asia, and the only Asian stop in the 2025 tour,' Cheng said.
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