Shenzhen Robots Take Over Tennis Courts as New Battleground

Shenzhen's robot next stop is the tennis court. On the evening of September 22, the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Finals opened at the Spring Cocoon Gymnasium in Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.

In the opening ceremony, tennis star Wang Qiang stood on one side of the net, facing not a human player but a robot with two wheeled legs. The robot served first, judged the ball's landing point, adjusted its stance, and rallied with Wang for multiple rounds, mixing topspin and high-arc moonballs.

The robot, named Tenniix ULTRA MAX, was jointly developed by Shenzhen companies LimX Dynamics and Inhans Dynamics. At the same event last year, another Shenzhen company, Wo'an Robotics, stood at the booth; its tennis robot Acemate was the official supplier of the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals. This year, Wo'an Robotics turned north, signing with the China Open in July to become the first tennis training robot selected for the tournament.

Wo'an Robotics crossed over from smart homes. Founded in 2015 by Harbin Institute of Technology alumni Li Zhichen and Pan Yang, it started with the smart home brand SwitchBot and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2025. In May 2025, it launched sports tech sub-brand Acemate and its first tennis robot, the S10.

Inhans Dynamics crossed over from exoskeletons. Founded in 2018, it initially made powered exoskeletons. In 2023, founder Zhu Hanqi, inspired by Su Bingtian's coach, led the company into sports tech. It has completed seven rounds of financing, including a Series A of over 100 million yuan in early 2026 led by Sequoia China.