The UTS exhibition tour, another new tennis El Dorado?
All attention and fears are focused on Saudi Arabia, particularly since the announcement of its "6 Kings Slam". A Saudi Arabia whose financial resources and ambitions are capable of upsetting the balance of all professional sports worldwide. But the oil-rich Middle Eastern kingdom is not the only potential disruptor of the established tennis order.
From Friday to Sunday, the first out of four UTS events of this year will take place in Oslo. The next three will be played in Frankfurt, Los Angeles and London. A competition that necessarily competes with the ATP Tour, as it do this week. Especially as the participants (Rune, Ruud, Rublev, De Minaur, Bublik, Monfils, Thiem and Paire in Oslo) are generously rewarded, with prize money ranging from $100,000 to $421,000 depending on results. It's hard not to be tempted.
