Ben Shelton rakes in record prize money following Ultimate Tennis Showdown triumph

American tennis star Ben Shelton went home with his biggest prize purse after emerging victorious at last weekend's Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in Frankfurt.

The UTS is quickly becoming a fan-favorite event, with it's unique rules and fast-paced style of play appealing to modern and more traditional tennis fans. Conceived by renown coach Patrick Mouratoglou, the Ultimate Tennis Showdown has seen sell out crowds gather at various stadiums whenever the event is held worldwide.

Several top-ranked players competed at the most recent edition, with Shelton outlasting all to emerge champion. The big-hitting American claimed a total prize money purse of $377,400, making it his most financially successful tournament of the year.

Ugo Humbert, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Lorenzo Musetti all won $266,400 from their matches at the UTS event, while Jan-Lennard Struff and Denis Shapovalov took home $144,300. Frenchman Gael Monfils and former World No.3 Dominic Thiem left with $99,900, despite losing their three matches.

It comes as no surprise that ATP stars jump at the opportunity to compete at the innovative new event, which sees matches played over four quarters of eight minutes each. Furthermore, live coaching is allowed and live-streamed to the fans, with the addition of mid-match interviews which give fans a peek at a player's mindset.