Facts, not guessing - Biggest tennis indoor facility in Europe trusts Zenniz
HVS-Tennis from Helsinki is the largest tennis club in Finland, with over 3,000 members. For several years now, the members have been enjoying smart tennis technology.
“The best system in the world,” summarizes the club’s executive director, Pekka Mäkelä.
Zenniz has been in use for many years at HVS’s home base, the Tali Tennis Center. Tali, with its 22 courts, is the largest indoor tennis facility in Europe. After the ongoing expansion, set to be completed by the upcoming summer, the number of courts will increase to 26. All courts are equipped with the Zenniz system.
“The best features of the system are automatic line calls, real-time data, and video recordings.”
Zenniz: Features & Getting Started
Tennis as a sport is deeply rooted in tradition. This traditionalism can sometimes pose challenges to adopting new technologies. However, these challenges can be addressed.
“Change is not always easy, but enthusiasm and Zenniz’s user-friendliness help. Still, it requires training for coaches and club staff to ensure that players can fully enjoy the benefits of smart tennis.”
HVS’s Competitive Legacy & Investment in Technology
HVS, known for its strong competitive tennis background, consistently produces top Finnish players year after year—such as Emil Ruusuvuori, Otto Virtanen, Laura Hietaranta, and Anastasia Kulikova—who are often seen in Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup national teams. The club continually focuses on the quality of its coaching and is keen to invest in utilizing technology.
“First and foremost, we want to provide the best possible conditions for everyone to play tennis. The initial reaction to Zenniz is always positive, and players receive data about their matches that they’re not used to, along with videos instantly sent to their phones,” Mäkelä described.
At Tali, the courts are heavily utilized, and currently, Zenniz is in use over 60% of the time when play is happening on the 22 courts.
From a competitive perspective, Mäkelä highlights Zenniz’s benefits for the player-coach relationship.
“Real-time statistics and feedback greatly enhance the depth of the coaching relationship.”
Zenniz in Tournaments & Line Call Challenges
HVS is also known as a very active tournament organizer. In December, the club hosted one of Finland’s largest tournaments, the School Championships, where Zenniz was used for line call challenges.
“An incredibly valuable tool from a tournament perspective. It significantly eases the tournament director’s work and streamlines the gameplay.”
Mäkelä encourages the tennis community to be proactive about technology.
“Take advantage of Zenniz, regardless of your skill level. Facts, not guessing. The only downside for me personally is that my daughter now teases me about my poor footwork,” Mäkelä laughs.