World No. 1 Joins TEAM8, Tennis Australia, Oracle and Tennis Channel as Major Strategic Partner
Novak Djokovic, the No.1 ranked men’s singles tennis player, 14-time Grand Slam Champion and ATP Player’s Council President, today announced an investment and strategic partnership with Universal Tennis.
“Universal Tennis has a compelling plan, the capabilities and resources, and the innovative products and ideas to improve the tennis ecosystem. I am excited to work with the company and their world-class partners to provide solutions that will positively impact tennis. I encourage all nations, the ITF and the governing bodies to join our collaborative effort to bring about long lasting positive change benefiting everyone in tennis,” said Novak Djokovic, world singles No.1 and 14-time Grand Slam Champion.
Djokovic’s investment and partnership with Universal Tennis will support and enhance the company’s mission to make tennis more affordable, accessible and fun for players at all levels around the world. Together, the partners will work on several core initiatives:
- Expand the worldwide adoption of Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), the global tennis rating that measures all players regardless of age, gender and geography on the same 16.50 scale;
- Support new events and enhance existing opportunities in professional tennis to ensure the sport retains economically viable pathways for professional players;
- Collaborate to support philanthropic endeavors; and
- Develop initiatives to improve the game for players, organizers and those involved in the business of tennis.
“Novak Djokovic is one of the all-time greats in tennis who brings a unique and valuable perspective as an elite professional athlete and as someone who has both a deep understanding of the challenges in tennis and the genuine desire to make tennis better. We look forward to collaborating with Novak and his team to bring needed solutions to all levels of tennis to ensure the sport develops and grows,” said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman and CEO.
Over the past year, Universal Tennis and UTR has accelerated its growth to become a leading, premier global tennis technology platform. In addition to the UTR Powered by Oracle global rating system, the Company has been releasing its new UTR engagement platform to increase tennis participation by giving organizers the tools to easily run tournaments and events based on player UTRs, letting players connect and discover opportunities for level-based tennis, and most importantly, giving all players worldwide – not just elite tennis players – the ability to get their two-decimal rating on the UTR Powered by Oracle system.
UTR’s engagement platform has shown to dramatically increase participation, engagement and enjoyment for players while providing economic benefits to tennis businesses. Leading academies, professional organizations, colleges, high schools and clubs – including Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, Good to Great Tennis Academy, Kim Clijsters, IMG, Saddlebrook, OrangeCoach, Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) – are among the many worldwide that have adopted the UTR Powered by Oracle rating system and UTR engagement platform.
Universal Tennis is continuing to release new products and solutions to help players and organizers at all levels. To learn about the benefits of the UTR engagement platform and how it can support the growth of tennis in your community, please visit www.MyUTR.com. You can learn more about the rating by watching the “What is UTR Powered by Oracle” video.
