HotelPlanner Tennis Tour

What HotelPlanner Tennis Tour does

HotelPlanner Tennis Tour (HPPT), formerly The Progress Tour, is a UK-incorporated developmental tennis tour operator founded in 2017 by Barry Fulcher and currently led by CEO Jieke Stroobant. The company runs a portfolio of weekend tournament circuits — the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (Men's and Women's), the UTR Shootout Series, the UTR Junior Shootout Series (18 & Under), and an inaugural season-ending UTR Shootout Finals — under the broader umbrella of the HotelPlanner Tour Series. Itself describing as the largest Pro-Am developmental tennis tour globally, the tour operates 320+ weekend tournaments across the UK, USA, and Spain with a $5.3M total prize fund and a new $300K championship event launched for December 2026 at ProWorld Academy in Delray Beach.

The tour's core technology is delivered through a strategic partnership with UTR Sports, whose proprietary Universal Tennis Rating system provides player ratings and seeding, and whose tournament management platform handles all event registrations, draws, and scheduling. The shootout format itself is a structured multi-match weekend bracket designed to deliver multiple UTR-rated matches daily with a recommended minimum UTR of 5.0+, plus tiered prize pools that scale based on registered player count. Supporting partners include Mantis Sport (UK Official Ball Partner), Keystone Sports (junior college pathway guidance), and Novellus Finance and IFX Payments (sponsor partners). Players ranked on the tour include Dmitry Popko (Men's #1, 141 tour points), Marshall Tutu (Men's #2, 117 points), Qavia Lopez (Women's #1, 102 points), and Anita Sahdiieva (Women's #2, 93 points), with former ATP pro Mikhail Youzhny competing in Men's Doubles.

The business model combines three revenue streams: tournament entry fees (e.g., £35 junior entry or £85 entry with £100 HotelPlanner voucher), a HotelPlanner title sponsorship under a five-year agreement contributing £250,000 annually to the prize fund, and ancillary sponsor relationships. Distribution is anchored in the UTR Sports self-serve platform, while marketing is driven by social media (Facebook, Instagram), a video/YouTube content hub, and PR/earned media around championship events. The company is privately held by HotelPlanner, a travel technology and hotel booking platform; HotelPlanner Tennis Tour LLC is the UK-registered entity headquartered at Level 5a Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London.

Name

HotelPlanner Tennis Tour

Legal name

HotelPlanner Tennis Tour LLC

Website

https://hotelplannertennistour.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HotelPlanner Tennis Tour is the largest Pro-Am developmental tennis tour globally, operating 320+ weekend tournaments across men's, women's, and junior circuits with a $5.3M prize fund. It partners with UTR Sports for ratings and tournament management, serving aspiring professional and advanced amateur players across the UK, USA, and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Tennis Tour Events

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Individual Sports Events (Tennis, Golf, Boxing/MMA, Athletics) (MPAGAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tennis Leagues & Team Competitions (MPAKAAAJ)

Keywords

• Developmental tennis tour
• Professional tennis tournaments
• Tennis shootout series
• Junior tennis competitions
• Tennis prize money events

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Tournament Entry Fees: Players pay entry fees to participate in tournaments. Junior tournaments charge £35 for entry only or £85 for entry plus £100 HotelPlanner voucher. The voucher option allows participants to recover their entry cost through prize winnings.
2. Prize Fund Distribution: The tour distributes prize money across tournaments. Shootout Series events offer up to $10,000 prize pool per event ($5,000 cash and $5,000 HotelPlanner vouchers). Weekly $40,000 events in Delray Beach. £15,000 events in UK. $50K UTR PTT events. Total prize fund exceeds $5 million annually across 320+ tournaments.
3. Title Sponsorship: HotelPlanner serves as title sponsor under a five-year agreement, bringing £250,000 annual increase to the tour's prize fund, player hospitality, hotel rate benefits, and voucher prizes for participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HotelPlanner Tennis Tour operates a worldwide network of more than 320 weekend tennis tournaments for aspiring professional players, including the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (Men's and Women's), the UTR Shootout Series, and the UTR Junior Shootout Series. Players pay entry fees to compete for prize money, HotelPlanner vouchers, and UTR-rated match experience, with a clear pathway culminating in the $300,000 season-ending Shootout Finals.

Product overview

HotelPlanner Tennis Tour is a comprehensive developmental tennis circuit designed for aspiring professional players. The portfolio consists of the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (Men's and Women's divisions) providing tournament opportunities for ranked players, the UTR Shootout Series offering open-level weekend events with substantial prize money, and the UTR Junior Shootout Series for 18&Under players. The tour was founded as 'The Progress Tour' in the UK in 2017 and rebranded under HotelPlanner sponsorship in 2025. In partnership with UTR Sports, the tour delivers over 300 weekend tournaments annually with a total prize fund exceeding $5 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HotelPlanner UTR Pro Tennis Tour (Men's) The men's professional developmental tennis circuit featuring UTR-ranked players with a minimum UTR 11.00 requirement, offering prize money tournaments and Tour Card opportunities for players transitioning to professional tennis.
• HotelPlanner UTR Pro Tennis Tour (Women's) The women's professional developmental tennis circuit featuring UTR-ranked players with a minimum UTR 8.00 requirement, offering prize money tournaments and Tour Card opportunities for players transitioning to professional tennis.
• HotelPlanner UTR Shootout Series Open-level weekend tournaments welcoming all challengers to compete through money rounds, with a recommended UTR level of 5+, featuring prize pots up to $10,000 per event and HotelPlanner vouchers across tiered player-count structures.
• HotelPlanner UTR Junior Shootout Series Two-day tournaments for 18 & Under players guaranteeing a minimum of two matches per competitor, with participants earning match experience and opportunities to win HotelPlanner vouchers to support their journey toward professional tennis.
• HotelPlanner UTR Shootout Finals Season-ending championship event bringing together the best performers from the Shootout Series regular season, featuring a $300,000 prize pot at ProWorld Academy in Delray Beach, Florida.

Quantifiable outcome

• 320+ weekend tournaments worldwide
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, supporting and minor.

• ProWorld AcademyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026ProWorld Academy in Delray Beach hosts the inaugural HotelPlanner UTR Shootout Finals (December 17-22, 2026) with $300,000 prize pot. Known for elite training environment and strong player development connection, the venue provides ideal setting for championship event.
• Mantis SportcoreTechnology or Integration · 23 March 2026Mantis Sport, a British tennis equipment brand founded in London, becomes Official Ball Partner in the UK. The ITF-approved Mantis Tour ball will be used across every UK event in 2026. Partnership supports players at all levels from grassroots to emerging professionals.
• UTR SportscoreTechnology or Integration · 16 March 2026Strategic partnership with UTR Sports to co-brand the HotelPlanner UTR Shootout Tennis Series. UTR Sports exclusively operates 250 US-based events and provides tournament management platform, event registrations, and draws. The partnership expands the series to over 300 tournaments annually with up to $10,000 single gender prize pool per Shootout event ($5,000 cash and $5,000 HotelPlanner vouchers).
• HotelPlannerflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 August 2025HotelPlanner, leading travel technology company and hotel booking platform, became Title Sponsor under a five-year agreement. Brings £250,000 annual increase to prize fund, player hospitality, great hotel rates for national and international travel, and voucher prizes for participants.
• Keystone SportssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Keystone Sports for Junior Shootout Series events. Keystone Sports helps talented athletes earn US college sports scholarships with 9 leading agencies and 115 experts worldwide. Workshops provide information about student-athlete day requirements, tennis and academic levels needed, and ongoing support for college tennis pathway.
• Novellus FinanceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNovellus Finance appears as a sponsor partner on the tour website footer and promotional materials.
• IFX PaymentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIFX Payments appears as a sponsor partner on the tour website footer.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• USTA Pro Circuit: The official US developmental professional tennis circuit operated by the United States Tennis Association. Directly comparable as a tiered, prize-money-bearing developmental tour targeting aspiring professional players below the ATP/WTA level.
• ITF World Tennis Tour: International Tennis Federation's global developmental circuit offering $15K–$25K+ weekly tournaments across men's and women's events. Closely comparable in mission (developmental pathway) and structure (multi-tier weekly tournaments).
• HotelPlanner Golf Tour: Sibling sports tour under the same HotelPlanner title sponsorship and parent company. Operates a parallel developmental golf tour with comparable event scale, prize fund structure, and sponsorship model — making it the closest operational peer within the HotelPlanner Tour Series.
• WTA 125 Series: WTA's official second-tier women's developmental tour offering $125,000-purse tournaments globally. Closely analogous as a developmental women's tennis circuit providing rankings points and prize money for players aspiring to the main WTA Tour.
• ATP Challenger Tour: ATP's official second-tier men's professional tour providing the bridge between ITF-level events and the main ATP Tour. Directly comparable as a developmental men's tennis tour with rankings, prize money, and Tour Card pathways.

Broad incumbents

• Lawn Tennis Association (LTA): UK national governing body for tennis that operates the LTA Pro Series and other domestic developmental events. Overlaps with the HotelPlanner Tennis Tour's UK-centric operations and competes for the same British developmental player pool.
• Korn Ferry Tour: Official developmental tour for the PGA Tour, the leading men's professional golf circuit. Conceptually comparable as the premier second-tier individual sports tour with strong sponsor backing, Tour Card pathways, and a season-ending championship.

Emerging players

• Universal Tennis (UTR Sports): Operator of the patented UTR rating system and a growing calendar of amateur and professional events. Strategic partner to HotelPlanner Tennis Tour but also operates its own events, making it a partial competitor and technology counterpart.

Others

• Tennis Channel: Dedicated tennis media platform that produces live coverage, original programming, and tournament broadcasts. Adjacent peer as a tennis-specific ecosystem participant that influences player visibility and fan engagement for developmental tours.

Regional players

• EG Tour / EGT (Tennis Europe Junior Tour): Tennis Europe's junior competitive circuit operating 14&Under and 16&Under events across Europe. Comparable as a structured junior tournament series focused on player development and college pathway preparation, though focused on the European junior market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheProgressTour
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHotelPlannerTennisTour
• Instagraminstagram.com/hotelplannertennistour
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hp-tennis-tour

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HotelPlanner Tennis Tour