‘Champions of the Court’ offers fans playable matches, rewards and interactive features.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has unveiled a new US Open interactive experience on Roblox, allowing fans to engage in various quests and challenges.
Confirmed:
- ‘Champions of the Court’ offers fans the opportunity to play matches, participate in treasure hunts, and interact with avatars of famous players
- Fans can earn and spend tokens within the experience to purchase items
- Doppelgänger, a consultancy specialising in metaverse product creation, was given the brief by the USTA to work on the Roblox experience
- Virtual environment incorporates visuals from the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
- The US Open’s enduring official partners, Emirates Airline and Ralph Lauren, are also integrating into the Champions of the Court experience as part of its rewards economy
Context:
The USTA’s move to launch an interactive Roblox experience aligns with the broader trend of sports entities leveraging virtual platforms to engage younger audiences. Notably, two other tennis Grand Slams, the Australian Open with ‘AO Adventure’ and Wimbledon’s ‘WimbleWorld’, have also ventured into the Roblox platform. Tennis Australia’s rollout proved a major hit, with AO Adventure garnering more than 11.5 million visits since its launch on 11th January.
Comment:
Brian Ryerson, the USTA’s senior director of digital strategy, said: “Utilising new platforms to bring the US Open experience to new generations of fans is always a priority for us. Roblox has provided a great platform for us to do that, as we hope to engage as many new fans with an incredible, authentic experience that serves as an entry point to both the US Open and the sport of tennis.”
Coming next:
Champions of the Court is playable now on Roblox, with the main draw of the US Open set to get underway on 28th August.