“UTS format is now bigger that individual players” – Mouratoglou’s takeaways on first-ever UTS in Asia
Patrick Mouratoglou, founder of UTS, reflects on the first-ever Asian edition of his innovative tennis league, held in Hong Kong.
Patrick Mouratoglou, UTS Hong Kong 2025 | © UTS / Tennis Majors
Tennis Majors: What’s your take on the first-ever Asian edition of UTS, which happened on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong?
Patrick Mouratoglou: I want to say, “Sorry, I’m going to tell you the same thing as usual, but once again, it was amazing.” As always, we had some crazy matches and a super high level of play. The UTS format is designed to create exciting matches. When players use the bonus card, they can come back even when they’re far behind, which happened several times. The eventual winner, Francisco Cerundolo, for example, was almost out in his first match but managed to come back. The decisive points also bring incredible pressure. We had another crazy sudden death, especially in the classification match between Richard Gasquet and Coleman Wong – so many points (seven) and match points on both sides. As always, the crowd was 100% into it, which you might not expect in this country, but it was just as lively as anywhere else. Coleman Wong was the hero of this Chubb UTS Hong Kong with Humansa. He won his match saving match points – probably the hottest moment of the entire two days.
Tennis Majors: How did Francisco Cerundolo go from struggling early on against Adrian Mannarino to being untouchable in the final?
Patrick Mouratoglou: He lost the first two quarters in his opening match, which was a quarterfinal. It was his first time playing the UTS format, and it took him a while to adapt. But he gradually found his rhythm and ended that match really strong. After that, his level kept rising, and in the final against Jenson Brooksby, he was untouchable.
Tennis Majors: This event closes the Asian leg of the pro tour. But it came at a tough time in the schedule, and you had to deal with several withdrawals. How did you manage that?
Patrick Mouratoglou: Yes, we had withdrawals at the very last minute. But I was probably the least worried. I knew the competition would still be great because the format is bigger than any individual player. Of course, having top, charismatic players makes it even better, and I was really sorry to hear from Alex de Minaur that he was injured when he came at the arena for a last try. But even without him, the format and the show are what matter most. The fans still felt the same excitement with players ranked lower. Coleman Wong brought incredible energy as the local favorite. The hardest part was finding replacements – it wasn’t easy because most available players who wanted to play with us already had commitments. I’m very thankful to Jenson Brooksby, the last one we brought in. He made a huge effort to come, with a very long trip, and probably paid for it in the final. But the show was still fantastic.
Tennis Majors: What about the Grand Final in London, the next stage from December 5 to 7? The roster is mostly set with Draper, Ruud, Rublev, Machac, Cerundolo, Mannarino, Goffin, and one last wildcard. Who will it be?
Patrick Mouratoglou: It’s a super high-level and charismatic lineup. As for the eighth player, that will be a surprise. Honestly, at this moment, I swear I don’t know exactly who it will be.
The real difference is your intensity, your movement on the court, your ability to play long rallies.
Tennis Majors: Andrey Rublev said after his quarterfinal: “UTS is not about experience, it’s about the level of tennis, and that’s it. You have to feel physically ready and feel if your game is ready to play long rallies, to fight.” Do you agree?
Patrick Mouratoglou: I think Andrey is absolutely right. UTS is all about the level of tennis you bring to the table – except for the serve, which doesn’t play a huge role. It’s not what makes the difference here. The real difference is your intensity, your movement on the court, your ability to play long rallies, and how well you recover between points without breaking down. We saw many players struggle physically during this edition. Usually, the strongest baseline players do the best, although net players can win too. Most winners are baseline players who move incredibly well, fight hard, and play with intensity – like Andrey, who’s won twice, and Francisco Cerundolo. They don’t give away many points and have at least one big weapon to hit winners. I’d also name players like Alex de Minaur (2024 UTS champion) and Gaël Monfils – they’re great movers, intense, solid, and always dangerous.
