Racket Sports Industry News - July 2025

Sports Business Journal reported June 30th:

USTA Ventures invests in Edge Sound Research

USTA Ventures is making an undisclosed investment in Edge Sound Research, a five-year-old startup that specializes in audio innovation technology, SBJ's Rob Schaefer reports. Edge’s “Embodied Sound” offering uses specialized transducers to turn everyday materials -- in a sports venue sense, the back of one’s seat -- into objects that radiate sound captured from the area of play.

Valtteri Salomaki, Edge’s co-founder and CEO, views the game of tennis as a “phenomenal opportunity to create experiences with our technologies.” Read full article here.

• Top spot for HEAD: 2024 number one tennis racquet brand in Europe

  HEAD was the number one tennis racquet brand in Europe in 2024, boosted by exciting new products and the inspirational performances of HEAD’s ambassadors, including Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff and Barbora Krejčíková. Read more here.

• ESPN
  Why are there so few women coaches in professional tennis?

• Table Tennis
  First time ever for a World Table Tennis Smash event in the United States.

• Sports Business Journal
  IBM, AELTC roll out new AI features for Wimbledon

• WTA
  Serena and Venus Williams to launch video podcast in August

• Sports Illustrated
  Wilson Teams Up with Roger Federer on RF Classics Collection

INTENNSE Tennis Lights Up Atlanta in Debut Weekend

The energy was electric at INTENNSE Arena as the league’s opening weekend delivered packed stands and high-octane tennis.

The excitement for the new league spread beyond the fans in the building to viewers at home and on mobile devices. Close to 250,000 unique viewers absorbed 600,000 minutes of INTENNSE content over the weekend, with broadcasts delivering high engagement and global reach.

Home Team Jacksonville Goes 2–0 to Open the Season

"The inaugural week of INTENNSE was nothing short of phenomenal,” said CEO Charles Allen. “Seeing the electrifying energy from everyone in the building, the on court drama, and the incredible streaming numbers truly underscores the massive potential of what we're building here!"

The history making INTENNSE pro league began with its first ‘SURGE’ - a four day gathering, packed full of competitive action - in the brand-new, purpose built INTENNSE Arena. Team Jacksonville played host to Team Tampa on Saturday night followed by a Sunday afternoon clash with Team Atlanta, opening its campaign with back-to-back wins.

In Saturday’s opener, Jacksonville standout Sam Nicholson set the tone early on in the Men’s Singles Match, racing into an early twenty-eight-point lead. Despite some strategic team substitutions and time-outs from Team Tampa to try and shake things up, it was not enough to close the gap and Team Jacksonville prevailed by thirty points at the conclusion of the opening match. Nicholson said of his performance “My mindset was to stay solid throughout and trust in our training. Tennis can go either way, and today, it went our way.”

On the women’s side, Team Tampa’s Seone Mendez sparked a spirited comeback effort for her team. “We’re just coming out aggressive and trying to play our game,” she said. “We know how to beat them, so we're just going to execute our strategy.” Team Tampa rallied to take the spoils in Match number two, closing the gap to seventeen points, as the two teams squared up for the final Match of the Dual.

Despite a strong push from Team Tampa in the doubles match, Jacksonville closed out the match with poise, running out with a 205-183 win to secure their spot at the top of the league standings. “Today was the first real go through, and I think we proved that we are a good team and we all love each other,” said Nicholson. “It does show, and the energy throughout helps."

Earlier Saturday, the Challenge Team, coached by former WTA Pro Irina Falconi-Hartman, caused something of an upset as they earned a battling win over a strong Team Atlanta lineup in an exciting encounter to open up the day’s proceedings, The Challenge Series and Challenge Team competition offers non-league competitive player’s a fantastic opportunity to experience playing this unique format in the INTENNSE Arena with substantial earning opportunities and a clear pathway to the pro league. (Link to Challenge Series events?)

On Sunday, buoyed by their fantastic opening day performance, Team Jacksonville returned to face Team Atlanta, and once again, it was Nicholson and his teammates who stepped up to deliver a commanding start for the home side, sealing victory in the opening Men’s Match. The Atlanta team rallied to take the Women’s singles, with a gritty performance from Tanya Sasnouskaya and her teammates, who closed the points deficit to just ten points as the teams headed into the final Match of the day.

The Jacksonville duo of Max Benson and Martin Gutierrez put in a battle worthy performance, stretching the home team’s lead and setting the tone for a highly competitive and fast-paced final thirty minutes of doubles. The home team stayed resilient to the end, with each team member playing their part to secure the 205-187 victory.

“I just love playing for my team. It’s not just for me, it’s for them,” said Tampa’s Khrystina Vozniak, who came alive in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles. “We love to play fast and we love to play energetic. It’s so bad ass and I’m so proud of my team.”

What’s Next

The season resumes June 28 and 29 at the INTENNSE Arena with Surge Number Two, featuring Atlanta as the home team with Duals against Jacksonville and Tampa. All league duals will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube.

Up Next:
The season continues next weekend:
 ●       Sat, June 28: 7 PM ET – Jacksonville vs. Atlanta
 ●       Sun, June 29: 2 PM ET – Tampa vs. Atlanta

The full schedule Is available here: INTENNSE Schedule

Limited tickets are available, offering multiple experiences. Further details can be found via the INTENNSE Tickets.

About INTENNSE:

INTENNSE is a new professional tennis league featuring a fast-paced, team-based format designed to elevate both player performance and fan engagement. Each match is time-boxed, high-energy, and hosted at The INTENNSE Arena in Atlanta, GA. With simplified scoring, nonstop action, and an immersive environment, INTENNSE is bringing new energy, and new narrative to the sport of tennis. Learn more at www.intennse.com.

Follow INTENNSE:

Instagram: @INTENNSEtennis

Twitter/X: @INTENNSEtennis

Facebook: /INTENNSE

“I’ve had it with you. In the next 2-3 years, I don’t want to ever see you again. Do not come to Germany!”

Sasha Zverev, after the Boss Open final, jokingly to Taylor Fritz after losing to him for the fifth time in a row.