The “Chubb UTS Hong Kong 2025 with Humansa” takes place at Kai Tak Arena, Kai Tak Sports Park from 14 to 15 October 2025. A globally acclaimed, innovative, tennis event the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) will be making its grand Asian debut in Hong Kong.
The order of play for Day 1 was released, with the pinnacle final game of the first day the clash between No. 2 seed Andrey Rublev and Hong Kong local hero Coleman Wong, just 6 weeks after their US Open five-set thriller, one of Wong’s top career performances.
Everything is at stake, as Rublev has to reach the semi-finals of the tournament to control his chances of playing at the UTS Grand Final in London, while Wong must win the event outright as he plays the UTS for the very first time.
French legend Richard Gasquet is the latest new addition to the tournament. Gasquet has long been one of the leading figures in French tennis. He has won over 600 matches, claimed 16 ATP titles, reached the finals of three Masters 1000 events, and achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 7. Being one of the best and most consistent players in UTS history reaching two semi-finals and as a UTS finalist in previous series, he gets a chance to say a final career goodbye to Asian audiences, stepping in as a replacement for Jakub Mensik who had withdrawn due to a knee injury contracted during the Asian swing.
As the clock ticks down to the tennis spectacular with local fans eagerly anticipating the thrills and spills of the unique event that starts on the coming Tuesday, participating players including Coleman Wong and Andrey Rublev have been arriving in Hong Kong and taking the opportunity to inspect and practice on the spectacular Centre Court built in Kai Tak Arena.
Tournament stars Jerry Shang, Adrian Mannarino and Richard Gasquet also took time off-court to take in some sightseeing with a flying visit to Hong Kong’s Ocean Park.
Fan favourite Nick Kyrgios has been visiting the city to meet fans and today enjoyed a fun knock with Hong Kong Cantopop star Eason Chan. He will take on a new role as Richard Gasquet’s coach in his awaited quarter final against Jerry Shang.
Alex de Minaur arrived in Hong Kong as planned yesterday (11 Oct) to prepare for the tournament, even though he finished the Shanghai Masters with a hip injury. De Minaur tried everything he did to compete but the pain was much too high to sustain a high-intensity physical competition, and he has regretfully had to withdraw from the event.
Alex de Minaur explained, “I was very much looking forward to participating in the first UTS event held in Hong Kong. However, it now seems I haven’t physically recovered quickly enough as I was feeling the pain even before working on practice court. After discussing with my team, I have had no choice but to withdraw and to meet my doctors for a proper assessment ».
“I have been amazed by the excellent venue for the Hong Kong leg of the tour and the outstanding player lineup, which is sure to deliver an incredibly exciting tournament for everyone. I hope everyone thoroughly enjoys the competition, and I look forward to hopefully returning to Hong Kong soon to put on a great show for you all in the future.”
American Jenson Brooksby will join the tournament as a replacement. The 24-year-old player’s world ranking has rocketed this year, rising from outside the top 1000 in January to a current ranking of 57. His notable achievements include winning his first ATP title in Houston in April, and last month at the Japan Open, defeating Holger Rune to reach the semi-finals. His first match will be against Chinese tennis star Zhang Zhizhen.
UTS Founder Mr. Patrick Mouratoglou commented, “While it’s unfortunate that Alex has been forced to withdraw from the event, we understand that injuries are an inevitable part of this physically and mentally demanding sport, particularly towards the end of a long season. We are delighted to welcome an excellent player like Jenson Brooksby to the field at such a short notice. Together with the other seven top players, each with their unique styles and personalities, the matches over the next two days promise to be thrilling and exciting showdowns.”
The opening match, scheduled for 6.30pm, will see Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo on court, whose consistent game is ideally suited to UTS rules. Making his first appearance at the UTS he needs to secure the iconic Zeus trophy for a chance to compete at London’s Grand Final in December. He faces French ‘lefty’ Adrian Mannarino, who only needs to secure one win to secure his place in the Finals, after his semi-final placing at UTS Guadalajara earlier in the season.
The second match of the day is a real generational encounter as rising China star Jerry Shang takes on French legend Richard Gasquet, possibly playing his last UTS event. The renowned one-handed backhander must win the tournament to qualify for the Grand Final. Shang, who defeated Top 10 Karen Khachanov at the Shanghai Masters 1000 takes his first tilt at the UTS challenge and must also win outright to make the Grand Final.
Wednesday will mark the day of the Final Four, featuring a semi-finals and final draw. The losers of the quarterfinals will also meet to determine final rankings for the UTS Grand Final. A limited number of tickets remain available for the event through HK Ticketing, China Travel Services (Hong Kong) and Fliggy. Tickets prices for the UTS tournament range from HK$380 to HK$1,380 for matches on 14 October, and HK$480 to HK$1,580 for the finals day on 15 October. 10% discount offer for Students aged 18 or below and Seniors aged 60 or above.
Due to recent changes to the original match lineup, the organizer has announced a special ticketing arrangement which provides a reimbursement option for ticket holders now not wishing to attend. Fans with pre-purchased and unused tickets have the option to apply for a reimbursement for the face value of the ticket contact the organizer before 4:00 PM 14 October. Please check the official announcement at www.tennishk.org on Monday for further details. An enquiry email [email protected] will also be available from 13 October noon.
The schedule of play for the quarterfinals is as follows:
14 October (Tuesday)
6:30pm Cerundolo “ El Canon” vs Mannarino “Manna”
7:30pm Shang “Jerry ” vs Gasquet “The Virtuoso”
8:30pm Jenson Brooksby “The Show” (1) vs Zhang “The Night Wtachman”
9:30pm Rublev “Rublo” (2) vs Wong “The Chosen Wong”
