Racket Sports Tech for January 2025

Table of Contents

• Tennibot News x 2

• Zenniz - Smart tennis is about to get smarter

• ATP + Tennis IQ

• SportstechX Top News

Tennibot News #1
Tennis & Pickleball Star Donald Young to Serve as Tennibot Strategic Advisor and Investor
Young Joins Forces with Tennibot to Revolutionize Training with Launch of The Partner, the World’s First AI Ball Machine

Tennibot, the innovative sports-tech company known for its groundbreaking advancements in tennis and pickleball training, is proud to announce that Donald Young has joined as a strategic advisor, mentor, and investor. Young, a celebrated professional tennis and pickleball player, will play a pivotal role in product development, brand positioning, and enhancing the customer experience as Tennibot launches its latest innovation, The Partner.

The Partner is the world’s first AI-powered ball machine designed to deliver human-like play by moving around the court and adapting its shots to the player's position and skill level. Young’s expertise as a dual-sport athlete will be instrumental in refining the continued innovations from Tennibot.

Off the court, Young is known for his dedication to community engagement, particularly his efforts to promote tennis to young people in underserved communities.

Haitham Eletrabi, CEO and Co-Founder of Tennibot shared: “We are honored and thrilled to have Donald Young on board, helping us elevate Tennibot to the next level. His expertise as a professional tennis and pickleball player, combined with his insights into the game and training needs, is invaluable. Donald’s role as a mentor, advisor, and investor is instrumental in refining our product design, enhancing brand positioning, and delivering the best possible experience for our users.”

Donald Young added: “The Partner from Tennibot is an absolute must-have for anyone serious about tennis or pickleball. It’s like having a world-class coach with you, delivering precision shots and keeping you on your toes. Whether you're training for the pros or just improving your game, this AI-powered ball machine is the ultimate practice partner!”

Tennibot News #1: 
Tennibot: One of 2024’s Most Disruptive Startups
TechCrunch: One of the Most Disruptive Startups of 2024

Tennibot CEO Haitham Eletrabi writes, “Big news! Tennibot has been named one of TechCrunch’s Most Disruptive Startups of 2024.

This recognition highlights how Tennibot is redefining the way athletes train and play—with innovative robots that make practice smarter and more efficient.

We’re honored to be recognized as a leader in sports tech innovation, and it’s all thanks to our community of players like you.

Read the full feature on TechCrunch.

Zenniz Co-Founder Sebastian Laine writes: We are excited to announce that the Zenniz Premium app will be launched soon. Smart tennis is about to get smarter, and we have some new features in store, powered by Zenniz AI.
Ready to transform your game?

Earlier this year, we conducted a market survey in the Helsinki region. Players love how Zenniz improves their game while making tennis more fun. Are you curious to hear what players have to say about Zenniz?

We’re beyond excited to expand our reach in the U.S. with XS Tennis in Chicago!

Known for hosting tournaments for players of all ages and levels, XS Tennis is taking their events to the next level with Zenniz. From electronic line calling to HD streaming and player stats, Zenniz is here to transform their tournaments and everyday court experience.

We’re also proud to support the mission of the XS Tennis and Education Foundation, empowering Chicago’s youth through tennis and education.

SBJ Power Up: ATP Tour advancing its Tennis IQ platform with more offerings

Sports Business Journal reports: How the ATP Tour is advancing its Tennis IQ platform to offer more advanced metrics, video clips

The ATP Tour’s player- and coach-facing analytics platform, Tennis IQ, began integrating automatically-tagged video clips ahead of its year-end finals in Turin this November and continued to do so around this month’s Next Gen Finals in Jeddah, SBJ's Rob Schaefer reports.

The tour treats the Next Gen Finals, which finished Sunday, as an experimental ground for innovation, whether that be in competition format or technology. This year, that has meant expanding access to filterable snippets of points within matches, which can be sorted by factors such as point result; shot type, direction or spin; and score, among others.

Metrics such as Shot Quality, developed by ATP partner TennisViz, are accessible within Tennis IQ in real-time to coaches sitting courtside, and supplementary video is typically available within 40 minutes of matches ending.

Top News from the World of Sports Tech & Biz

• Puma launches AI Kit

• USTA joined the LEAD One family as a strategic collaborator

• Robinhood’s CEO indicated firm is considering expanding into sports betting

• ESPN launched gaming content ESPN Tailgate, in partnership with Meta

• Much more in the SportstechX Weekly Newsletter (Subscribe below)