As a tennis ball arcs over the net on a clay court, the player on the receiving end must swiftly prepare to return the serve, executing a powerful swing while adapting to varying environmental conditions. These are precisely the elements that the virtual reality training company, Sense Arena, meticulously measures and simulates.
Originating from Prague in the Czech Republic, Sense Arena is renowned for its innovative VR training platform, initially focused on ice hockey and now expanding into tennis. The platform can replicate diverse scenarios on grass, clay, or hard courts, meticulously tracking a player’s grip and the ball’s speed.
Having initially set up its U.S. headquarters in Boston, Sense Arena is now in the process of establishing a new base in Tampa to further enhance its tennis training capabilities.
“Florida was always on our radar, and Tampa’s logistical advantages make it an ideal hub for travel between Europe and the U.S.,” stated Bob Tetiva, CEO and founder of Sense Arena. He also highlighted Tampa’s burgeoning co-working spaces and talent pool, along with St. Petersburg’s status as the home of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
When Sense Arena launched its Boston headquarters, it was primarily focused on hockey training, catering to a core audience in the Northeast. The startup collaborates with five NHL teams, 11 Division I hockey programs, and various global youth organizations.
After refining its hockey programming in 2018 and exploring other sports, the company identified tennis as the next logical addition to its platform, given its popularity in both the Czech Republic and the U.S.
Brazilian professional tennis player Luisa Veras Stefani and Sense Arena founder and CEO Bob Tetiva are key figures in this expansion.
The team is aiming for a March 2024 launch of the tennis division at the Embarc Collective hub in Tampa, a space known for fostering innovation and collaboration.
In the previous year, Sense Arena secured $3 million in funding, which facilitated the development of its tennis division in the fall of 2024.
The tennis division has garnered support from international tennis legend Martina Navratilova and is utilized by numerous professional players, including Jennifer Brady and Jack Sock.
Tetiva explained that the company has been on a six-year journey, experimenting with various hardware platforms. In 2019, they were using the HTC Vive headset, but with the onset of the Covid pandemic, companies like Facebook introduced competitive VR technology with more flexible pricing.
Currently, Sense Arena’s VR technology operates using the Meta Quest 2, a headset developed by Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms.
Today, Sense Arena boasts a team of over 50 employees.
To bolster the tennis division, Sense Arena appointed Yannick Yoshizawa as Vice President of Tennis. Yoshizawa previously served as a tour supervisor for the WTA.
Leveraging Yoshizawa’s connections, Sense Arena secured its first NCAA tennis partnership with the University of South Florida’s Division 1 men’s and women’s teams.
Yoshizawa, who played college tennis from 2012 to 2018, noted, “Coaches are always seeking new ways to enhance training. This technology caught their attention, and it was straightforward to introduce.”
Discussions with USF began in 2022, culminating in a one-year agreement effective in 2024.
“We are thrilled to partner with Sense Arena. This technology offers a fantastic way for our players to focus on visualization,” stated USF Women’s Tennis Head Coach Cristina Moros. “It’s an ideal tool for recovery days, allowing us to exercise the mind and concentrate on the mental aspects of tennis.”
Currently, Sense Arena’s tennis product emphasizes the returning player’s perspective, but future developments may enable players to simulate serving the ball to an opponent.
With thousands of tennis users, Sense Arena is experiencing a surge in demand, with 20 to 50 new licenses purchased daily by business-to-business clients such as universities and clubs.
Yoshizawa and Tetiva clarified that the product is not available in retail stores. Instead, it can be purchased online through Sense Arena’s e-shop, where users can download the software. The physical racket and technology are shipped from three different distribution centers.