UTS Rio confirms João Fonseca’s participation in Maracanãzinho, marking the tennis player’s return to the city
Young talent João Fonseca will have his return to the courts in Rio de Janeiro assured with the confirmation of his presence at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS). The event, an innovative tennis league designed by renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who has worked with names such as Serena Williams and Stefanos Tsitsipas, as well as guiding Victoria Barros, will take place at the Maracanãzinho gymnasium between the 16th and 18th of July.
This will be the first time that UTS, known for its dynamic format, arrives in the capital of Rio de Janeiro. Fonseca will join a list of already announced stars, including Australian Nick Kyrgios, Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo, Briton Cameron Norrie and Frenchman Ugo Humbert. The exclusive broadcast of the tournament will be on sportv3, allowing fans to follow every action.
In his career on the ATP circuit, the tennis player from Rio competed in his hometown only at the Rio Open. In 2023, still 16 years old, he received an invitation to the tournament, and the following year he achieved his best performance on clay at the Jockey Club, reaching the quarterfinals. The 2025 edition marked his debut, while this year, he advanced to the round of 16 in the singles group and won the doubles title alongside Marcelo Melo.
The UTS league has already held stages in several global cities, such as London, New York, Hong Kong and Guadalajara. The circuit is distinguished by its particular rules, which separate it from the traditional rules of the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP). Even without offering points for the ranking, the competition attracts big names in the sport, such as Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev, both two-time champions of the event. In 2024, the city of Nîmes, France, was one of the venues.
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Patrick Mouratoglou, creator of UTS, gave an interview highlighting the tournament’s philosophy. He emphasized that the main objective is for people to feel and share emotions, comparing the intensity to the Davis Cup, where the public has a more active participation. According to Mouratoglou, the initial rejection that the tennis players would not be interested in participating proved to be unfounded, as they loved the experience and the interaction with the audience.
The coach highlighted that the presence of noise during matches is not seen as something negative, but rather as a sign of involvement, unlike the total lack of noise. He mentioned the passion of Latin American fans, especially in Brazil, where football culture translates into contagious enthusiasm. This is one of the reasons why Brazil has become an ideal place to host UTS, offering a unique experience for both players and an audience looking for a more vibrant way to experience tennis and support talents like João Fonseca.
Discover the different rules of Ultimate Tennis Showdown
In the UTS format, matches are divided into four “quarters”, each lasting eight minutes. Point counting is simplified, with each play worth one point, unlike the conventional system (15, 30, 40). After the end of the regulation time of one quarter, the “quarter points” phase begins, where the tennis player who is leading the partial needs to score just one additional point to guarantee victory in that quarter. There is a brief interruption of three minutes between each half, and the winner of the confrontation is the player who wins at least three of the four quarters.
The innovations don’t stop there: UTS eliminates the second serve, which consequently reduces the number of aces and encourages the exchange of longer balls. Touching the net during a serve is not considered a foul, and coaches are allowed to use microphones, interacting directly with their athletes during the game. A bonus card is another strategic element, allowing the tennis player to triple the value of the next point scored. Each player receives one card per room and activates it using a button positioned in the center of the court. For the public, one of the most striking rules is total freedom of expression, without the need for silence at any point during the match, contributing to a more festive and engaging atmosphere.
