Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ former coach, faces criticism from Jean-Francois Caujolle regarding the timing of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS). Caujolle, the director of the Marseille-based tournament Open 13, argues that Mouratoglou’s UTS has impacted player participation in the ATP 250 event.
The 2024 Open 13 kicked off on February 5, with the final scheduled for February 11. Among the contenders are top seeds like Hubert Hurkacz, Grigor Dimitrov, and Karen Khachanov. However, notable players such as Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, and Alex de Minaur are absent from the lineup.
Instead, they are set to compete in Mouratoglou’s UTS, held in Oslo, Norway, from February 9 to 11.
Caujolle voiced his frustration over the situation in an interview with L’Equipe, directing his criticism at Patrick Mouratoglou:
“There is a UTS stage in Oslo, with certain players who could have participated in the Open 13. And that offends me, yes. What is the interest of the promoter Mouratoglou? For me, he does not promote tennis. He promotes his own interests, that’s all.”
