The 2026 ATP Tour season is right around the corner – the first set of matches will be played at the United Cup from January 2.
The 2025 season concluded in November following Jannik Sinner’s ATP Finals victory in Turin, and tennis fans will hope the new campaign lives up to the excitement of its predecessor.
Excitement surrounding the Tour looks unlikely to be quelled anytime soon, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner stealing much of the spotlight due to their ongoing dominance.
However, for all the ATP Tour’s positive traits, is there room for improvement?
The ATP should introduce a UTS-style court at a 250 event
The Ultimate Tennis Showdown [UTS] is an international tennis league that was founded in 2020 by French coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
UTS matches use a different court design, removing the tramlines and instead using the width of the singles courts.
On the ATP Tour [and WTA Tour] singles matches are played using the full width of the doubles court, despite the tramlines being an out-of-bounds area.
If you were in charge of tennis, what is the first rule you would change?
The ATP should explore implementing the UTS-style court at an ATP event on a trial basis for the 2026 season.
The court style lends itself to a more exciting style of play. With the court width and net length being shorter, there is more room for players to produce stunning down-the-line shots by going around the net post – something Rafael Nadal became so famous for during his career.
The change should not be widespread, as any major changes would risk altering the very fabric of the sport. However, using the court design at an ATP 250 event would be an appropriate starting point.
Introducing the court design would give fans the opportunity to experience an altered style of tennis and to offer their opinions on the format moving forward.
See how you get on with this tricky tennis quiz!
This is something that should also be tested on the WTA Tour to help generate more excitement for tennis fans across the globe.
Who won the 2025 UTS Grand Final?
World number seven Alex de Minaur won his second consecutive UTS Grand Final last week after defeating Casper Ruud in the final.
De Minaur, who defeated Ruud 11-15, 15–10, 15–11, 16–7, has now won a record-breaking three UTS titles.
The Australian, nicknamed the ‘Demon’, defeated Tomas Machac and Ugo Humbert on his way to the final.
The Australian star, who won the Washington Open title in August, earned $640,000 in prize money.
