The Exo-Tennis series kicks off May 1st at Base Tennis and features a talented field of players and innovative uses of technology

HÖHR-GRENZHAUSEN, Germany (April 28 ,2020) – The Exo-Tennis Series is set to kick off its schedule of tournaments on May 1st at Base Tennis in Germany with the Tennis-Point Exhibition, becoming the first live tennis event to return to action since professional tennis was suspended in early March.

The Exo-Tennis group has worked behind the scenes to ensure full compliance with Germany’s coronavirus regulations while utilizing technology in innovative and new ways to bring live tennis back to fans across Germany, Europe and all over the world. The on-site action will be played without the presence of fans or spectators and will be broadcast on Tennis Channel International, a new OTT platform launched earlier this week. Sportradar, the global provider of sports content and intelligence, is providing data production and integrity monitoring services for the series, while PlaySight and LiveU work together to deliver automated sports broadcast video and SmartScore technology throughout.

The mission behind Exo-Tennis originated with Rodney Rapson, owner of BASE Tennis and Managing Director at PlaySight, who realized he had the ingredients needed to run a tennis event safely. “This idea started to really get traction once Germany rolled out plans for a gradual reopening. We are big proponents of technology at Base Tennis and are excited to debut live sports production without the need for full production crews,” said Rapson. “More than anything else, we want this event series to be about the players, fans and the sport of tennis whilst still respecting the current health guidelines.”

Exo-Tennis is proud to be the host of the first live tennis event since the global shutdown of the sport, and one of its goals is to generate playing opportunities for players ranked outside of the top 100. This is one of the main reasons that Tennis-Point, the biggest online retailer in Europe, joined as the title sponsor for the three events taking place in Germany.

Dustin Brown, who has been ranked on the ATP tour as high as 64, is excited for the opportunity to get back on court. “With the tour being suspended for the foreseeable future, I am happy to have the chance to compete again. When the guys gave me the call, I didn’t have to think twice. I am looking forward to going out there doing what I love.”

Another player in the field is Yannick Hanfmann, who currently sits at 143 in the ATP rankings and is the seventh highest ranked German player. “I’m excited for the opportunity to play at the Exo-Tennis series in a few days. It is a strange feeling to know that at the time we will be playing, there won’t be any other sporting events going on in the world. We will be sure to give it our best for the fans to watch online or on TV. We understand the value of good sports entertainment in these difficult times and hope to be able to display some great tennis.”