Tennis revolution: Austria starts the first VR tennis league!

Tennis revolution: Austria starts the first VR tennis league!

this day, May 17, 2025, the Italian Jasmine Paolini causes a sensation in the tennis circus. She secures the title at the WTA-1000 Sandplatz tournament in Rome by confidently defeating the American player Coco Gauff in the final with 6: 4, 6: 2. With this success, Paolini achieves her third WTA title, including the second on the prestigious 1,000 level. Despite the victory, she stays in fifth place in the world rankings, while Gauff rises in second place due to her performance in Rome and Iga Swiatek overtakes. It is noteworthy that Paolini has been the first Italian in 40 years to win this title in Rome; The last title holder was Raffaella Reggi in 1985.

in parallel to this sporty highlight, a fascinating innovation is launched in tennis. The Austrian Tennis Association (ÖTV), together with Laola1, Tennis Esports and MXR Sports, announces the country's first official VR tennis league: Virtual Reality Austria Championship (VRAC). The official start of this unique league takes place on May 5, 2025, with a live final that will take place on June 25, 2025 in the Laola1 office in Vienna. The league is aimed at tennis enthusiasts of all ages and all skills.

The first European virtual tennis league

The VRAC combines the exciting world of virtual tennis sports with innovative technologies. Registration for the league takes place using a form on the Laola1 website. The game is played on the VR app tennis eSports, developed by VR Motion-Learning GmbH. A special highlight is that the winner of the previous virtual reality tennis tournament receives a wildcard for the VRAC. Tom Berger, Head of Laola1, emphasizes the importance of this league for virtual tennis in Europe, while Gregory Gettinger, CEO of VR Motion-Learning GmbH, emphasizes the accessibility of tennis for everyone.

In addition, the league will underline its commitment to growing tennis. This initiative enables clubs to determine their first virtual club champion and present their clubs. Thomas Schweda, Managing Director of the Austrian Tennis Association, sees the VRAC an exciting way to experience tennis in a new dimension.

important dates of the VRAC

• Ligastart: 5. May 2025
• Play-offs: 1. December 2024 to January 6, 2025
• semi -finals and finals: 29. January 2025

While Paolini celebrates and conquered the tennis court, sport in Austria is experiencing an exciting transformation with the introduction of the first virtual tennis league. These developments could shape the face of tennis in the future.