Tech and tennis passion
The writer, Santtu Leskinen, is the CMO of Zenniz. A passion for tennis that began in childhood drives Santtu to develop the sport and playing experience into a modern, engaging, and fun direction.
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Did you know that $6.4 billion was invested in sports technology startups during January and February? The sports technology market is set to triple, surpassing $61 billion by 2030.*
Technology has shaped and will continue to shape the world we live in - including sports.
The pace of development is accelerating rapidly. Through sports, people share moments together and improve themselves, regardless of their skill level. We believe in the power of tennis to connect people and promote an active lifestyle. By enhancing the playing experience and providing clubs with new business opportunities, we aim to make tennis more accessible and enjoyable for everyone - encouraging more people to take up the sport and enabling clubs to expand their offerings.
What about tennis and technology?
Think of it this way. Tennis is, in some ways, a pioneer but, at the same time, one of the least technology-driven sports.
Its pioneering nature is evident in racket technology. Players have embraced and even craved innovation in their most important tool - the racket. Many generations have witnessed and played with wooden and steel rackets, and today, they use modern graphite ones.
Tennis is also ahead of the curve in the use of player and match data, especially on the ATP and WTA tours. Spectators have long enjoyed increasingly sophisticated statistics. Grand Slam tournaments have also begun integrating AI-driven fan engagement solutions, such as highlight reels, articles, and match tracking. Check out the example from the latest Australian Open, how cool is that!
However, the innovations visible to spectators have not yet trickled down to grassroots-level play.
A common routine still goes like this: arrive at the courts, change into sportswear, step onto the court, hit the ball over the net with a friend. Afterward, in the locker room, players reflect on whether they played well or poorly, perhaps exchanging a few words about an opponent’s strong serves.
Change is coming. Grassroots tennis, and the conversations in the locker room, are evolving due to technology.
At Zenniz, we bring technology to everyone.
Real-time feedback, electronic line calls, advanced statistics and analysis, live streaming, and video playback - all in one package. Players can track and improve their game using the same statistics and video tools as the pros. If interested, go and listen Baslinjen podcast where we shared some latest news from Zenniz and the upcoming Zenniz Premium.
After a match, discussions in the locker room will be enriched, or maybe even driven, by data. But this doesn’t mean losing the emotional and intuitive aspects of the game.
On the contrary - data enhances emotions and deepens the experience.
* Sources: SportsTechX and Grand View Research