Sense Arena Brings Groundbreaking Virtual Reality Tennis Technology to the NCAA
PRAGUE, Czech Republic and TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 1, 2023) – Sense Arena, the world leader in cognitive virtual reality tennis and ice hockey training, today announced its first-ever NCAA tennis partnership with the Division I men’s and women’s tennis programs at the University of South Florida.
Student-athletes from both Bulls’ programs will now be able to supplement their on-court training by using Sense Arena’s groundbreaking VR technology, which operates via the Meta Quest 2 and provides players with enhanced visualization tools geared towards improving the mental aspects of the game such as anticipation and decision-making skills.
Sense Arena for Tennis launched in November 2022 and is backed by a roster of top-tier players who have started using the technology since its launch including International Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova, ATP pros Gonzalo Escobar, Miomir Kecmanovic, Emil Ruusuvuori, and Jack Sock, and WTA pros Jennifer Brady, Marie Bouzkova, Brenda and Linda Fruhvirtova, Liudmila Samsonova, Daria Saville and Luisa Stefani.
“We are excited to partner with the USF men’s and women’s tennis programs to officially launch Sense Arena in the collegiate tennis space,” said Sense Arena Vice President of Tennis Yannick Yoshizawa. “Florida has a tremendous tennis culture and continues to be at the forefront of the sport, and USF has been key to the sport’s growth and development since it started its tennis program over 50 years ago. We are thrilled to provide USF athletes with a new edge over their competition and look forward to helping them maximize their performance.”
The USF men’s and women’s tennis programs, which were both incorporated in 1966, have a tremendous tennis history and have established themselves as two of the most prestigious programs in the NCAA. The Bulls’ men’s team boasts 20 American Athletic Conference titles alongside 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, while the women’s team has compiled 13 American Athletic Conference titles and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances.
“Sense Arena offers a whole host of benefits and we’re excited to be working with them,” said USF Men’s Tennis Head Coach Ashley Fisher. “This is where tennis is moving; incorporating more technology, and Sense Arena’s platform presents a unique space to improve, and really get specific with skills.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to start our partnership with Sense Arena, and I can really see this being a fantastic way for our players to work on visualization,” said USF Women’s Head Coach Cristina Moros. “It’s the perfect tool to use on recovery days when we want to exercise the mind and train our brains, really focusing on the mental aspects of tennis.”
While the partnership announcement with USF kicks off Sense Arena’s foray into NCAA tennis, Sense Arena launched its ice hockey product in 2018 and there are currently 10 NCAA Division I hockey schools using the company’s ice hockey technology, including Boston College, Harvard, Northeastern, and Quinnipiac, among others. The men’s and women’s hockey programs at Sense Arena partner schools have combined for eight national championship titles, 26 championship game berths and 64 Frozen Four appearances.
For more information and updates on Sense Arena for Tennis, visittennis.sensearena.com, or follow on Instagram (@SenseArenaTennis),Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter (@SenseArena).
