UTR launches new initiative for junior, high school and college athletes to compete in high level local tennis events.
Americans don't need a pro ranking to play for a National Championship.

Universal Tennis today announced the launch of its first-ever UTR National Championship Series, a new initiative for junior, high school and college athletes to compete in high level local tennis events, continue to develop their game, and have their scores count globally via the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR).

More: What Self-Isolation? Zverev Spotted Partying

The UTR National Championship Series features over 20 locations with more than 70 events and 2,000 matches across the United States, including California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts.

The series will be divided into three divisions: High School, Juniors (14’s & 16’s) and College, with events beginning July 8th and running through early August.

Space is limited to the top 16 players by UTR in each division and winners of each host site will be nationally recognized by Universal Tennis as the first ever UTR National Champions.

All UTR National Championship Series events will be organized based on a World Cup-style format, where groups of players will compete in round robin style stages and will advance to the next round based on their results. Winners of the collegiate and junior UTR National Championships will be eligible to receive prize money. The junior series will be live-streamed for college coaches on MyUTR.com to help support summer recruiting efforts.

“The UTR National Championship Series gives young players who are eager to get back on the court a new opportunity to participate in local, high level competition that counts globally for their Universal Tennis Rating. Due to the global health crisis, players have been unable to compete for a few months, and many events have been cancelled,” said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman & CEO. “Our partner sites are committed to following their local health and safety guidelines, while offering a fun, competitive environment for players to get back to competition, showcase their skills and return to the game they love.”

Fila will serve as the official apparel and footwear provider of the UTR National Championship Series, providing prizes for all winners across the junior, high school and collegiate divisions.

Calendar Dates:

• College: July 8 – August 2
• Juniors Boys & Girls (14s & 16s): July 15 – July 26
• High School: July 29 – August 2 

​Registration: Players, coaches and parents can learn more and sign up for their local UTR National Championship Series event at MyUTR.com.

Photo credit: UTR Facebook

The Aussie jumps all over Zverev, who was seen out partying six days after promising to self-isolate. Nick Kyrgios has taken to Instagram to call out the behavior of Alexander Zverev. Zverev made headlines on Sunday when he was filmed out at a club in the French Riviera.

Just six days prior, Zverev had posted an apology on social media, saying that he was planning to self-isolate due to his presence at the Adria Tour, which saw several top players, including Novak Djokovic, test positive for Covid-19.

Kyrgios filmed a rant in his car and posted it on his Instagram stories.

“How selfish can you be?” he said. “If you have the audacity to f****** put out a tweet that you made your management write on your behalf, saying you are going to self-isolate for 14 days, and apologizing to the general public for putting their health at risk, at least have the audacity to stay inside for 14 days.”

Nick Kyrgios on Sascha Zverev. *A lot of things* were said. 😶 pic.twitter.com/zWxl9opKjC

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 29, 2020

“Have your girlfriend with you for f****** fourteen days. Jesus, man, pissing me off,” Kyrgios added. “This tennis world is pissing me off, seriously, how selfish can you all get?”

Tunisian player also fined $7,000.
Majed Kilani has been banned seven years for match-fixing.

The Tunisian player was also fined $7,000 after being found guilty of match-fixing, the Tennis Integrity Unit announced.

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A Tennis Integrity Unit investigation concluded Kilani conspired with a third party to manipulate the outcome of matches played at an ITF Futures tournament in Egypt in August 2016. In addition to the match-fixing offenses, Kilani was also found to have failed to fully co-operate with a TIU investigation into the corruption allegations against him.

Kilani is prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event authorized or sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis for a period of seven years, effective June 25th, 2020.

The 23-year old Kilani is currently ranked 804 in ATP singles and 528 in doubles, both of which are career highs.

The $7,000 fine must be paid at the rate of $1,000 per year over the course of his seven-year ban.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

Former No. 1 says shift from US Open hard-court to Madrid clay is hazardous.
Andy Murray has won both the US Open and Madrid.

The former world No. 1 says the revised calendar for the pro circuit will put players' health at risk by scheduling the Mutua Madrid Open on clay right after the US Open is contested on hard court.

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Murray, who suggests he is leaning toward playing the Citi Open in Washington, DC starting on August 14th, says requiring players to shift surfaces after a long layoff is not safe.

“It’s not safe for players to go from the semis or final in New York, quarters even, and then you’re playing on the Tuesday in Madrid at altitude on the clay court, when players haven’t competed for a very long time,” Murray said.

The former world No. 1 proposes a possible solution for players: shift the rankings to two years.

“It might be worth potentially looking at a two-year ranking for the time being so that the guys who did well last year and are not able to defend their points properly aren’t punished," Murray said.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve