The global tennis development ecosystem is set for significant expansion following a new partnership between the HotelPlanner Tour and UTR Sports, which will launch the co-branded HotelPlanner UTR Shootout Tennis Series—a rapidly scaling competition platform designed to create more earning opportunities and competitive pathways for aspiring players.
Under the agreement, the Shootout Series will expand to more than 300 tournaments annually, positioning it as one of the largest developmental Pro-Am circuits in the sport. UTR Sports will exclusively operate 250 events across the United States, each offering prize pools of up to $10,000 per tournament, split between cash and HotelPlanner travel vouchers.
The expanded structure reflects a broader push to address one of tennis’ longstanding challenges: the financial and logistical barriers faced by players attempting to progress from grassroots competition to the professional ranks. By pairing tournament prize opportunities with travel support and a globally recognized ratings system, organizers hope to provide a more sustainable competitive ladder for emerging talent.
“UTR has been instrumental in helping us deliver truly level-based competition,” said Jieke Stroobant, CEO of the HotelPlanner Tour, noting that the UTR platform enables accurate ratings and advanced tournament management. The collaboration, he added, is designed to create “meaningful, merit-driven opportunities for athletes at every stage of their careers.”
UTR Sports will also manage tournament operations through its digital platform, handling event registrations, draws, and scheduling, while integrating player ratings to ensure balanced matchups across the series.
Beyond the new U.S. circuit, the broader Shootout ecosystem will retain several established events, including weekly $40,000 tournaments in Delray Beach, Florida, and nine £15,000 events in the United Kingdom, further reinforcing the tour’s international footprint.
For UTR Sports, the partnership represents another expansion of its growing event portfolio, which already includes the UTR Pro Tennis Tour, now entering its sixth year. According to UTR Sports Chairman and CEO Mark Leschly, the collaboration creates “another unique pathway of opportunity for players of all levels.”
Originally launched in the U.K. in 2017 as the Progress Tour, the HotelPlanner Tour has evolved into one of the sport’s most expansive developmental circuits. Today it supports hundreds of tournaments globally and contributes millions of dollars in prize money annually as part of its mission to help emerging players bridge the gap to top-tier professional competition.
As racquet sports continue to invest in scalable competition platforms—from data-driven ratings systems to expanded event networks—the HotelPlanner-UTR collaboration signals a broader trend: building a more accessible, financially viable pathway for the next generation of tennis professionals.
