UTS Rio confirms list of tennis players and pits João Fonseca against Nick Kyrgios in his debut at Maracanãzinho
With the presence of young João Fonseca as the second seed, the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) revealed, this Wednesday (24), the complete list of athletes who will participate in the Rio de Janeiro stage. The event will take place at Maracanãzinho, between the 16th and 18th of July, and the first meetings have already been defined. The Brazilian tennis player will have as his first opponent the Australian Nick Kyrgios, Wimbledon runner-up in 2022.
The tournament organization announced the last three names to complete the list of eight athletes who will compete. Brandon Nakashima (31st), Corentin Moutet (36th) and Tallon Griekspoor (39th), all among the 30 best in the world, join Fonseca, Kyrgios, Francisco Cerúndolo, Cameron Norrie and Ugo Humbert.
American athlete Brandon Nakashima arrives in Rio after reaching the semifinals of the Queen’s ATP 500. Tallon Griekspoor, who was once 21st in the world rankings, is considered the main tennis player in the Netherlands in recent years, accumulating three titles in ATP tournaments. In turn, Frenchman Corentin Moutet, currently in 36th position in the rankings, has already reached the round of 16 at Roland Garros, in 2024, and at the US Open, in 2022.
Shortly after impressing by reaching the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and beating the former leader of the world rankings, Novak Djokovic, João Fonseca returns to Brazil as second seed in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, behind only Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo, who occupies 21st position in the ATP. This recent performance consolidates Fonseca as one of the great promises of world tennis, raising expectations for his performance at home.
Details about the game format and prize amounts
Created by Patrick Mouratoglou, former coach of Serena Williams, the contest adopts a very innovative model in relation to traditional tennis. Games are divided into four eight-minute periods (four quarters), allowing communication between athletes and coaches during matches. The public is also free to speak out at all times during the confrontation.
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The competition will distribute a total amount of US$1.238 million in prizes (approximately R$6.8 million). The champion can pocket up to US$400,000 (around R$2.2 million).
See the full schedule and the first duels of UTS Rio
Follow the dates and sequence of the first phase clashes:
July 16th (6pm – 10pm)
- Corentin Moutet x Tallon Griekspoor
- Francisco Cerundolo x Brandon Nakashima
- Nick Kyrgios x Ugo Humbert
- Cameron Norrie x Corentin Moutet
July 17th (6pm – 10pm)
- Ugo Humbert x Brandon Nakashima
- João Fonseca x Tallon Griekspoor
- Francisco Cerundolo x Cameron Norrie
- João Fonseca x Nick Kyrgios
On Saturday the 18th, the “Final Four” will take place, which includes the semi-finals and classification matches, starting at 12pm. The big decision is scheduled for 4pm. The definition of classifieds for this stage will be made by the number of victories, matches played and direct confrontation results. In the event of a tie between three or more players, the tiebreaker criteria will be the best quarter average, followed by the average points and, finally, a draw.
