In the basement of a commercial building in Yangcheon District, Seoul. As I entered at the reserved time, a machine that automatically sends balls to a quiet tennis court was there. Tennis balls came out of the machine, but no staff or coach was visible.
This place, operated under the brand 'TGRV' (Tennis Groove), is an unmanned indoor tennis court created by the startup Daewon Next. An indoor tennis court that operates without people, where all aspects including space, equipment, and payment systems are interconnected, serves as a testing ground for the unmanned sports concept and a practical stage aiming to popularize tennis in everyday life.
Daewon Next was established in March 2020 and opened two unmanned tennis courts in Yangcheon District about three years later. Bang Jin, the CEO of Daewon Next, diagnosed the reason for the rapid decline in tennis's popularity as being due to it being "a sport with high entry barriers."
He said, "In tennis, it takes more than a year to reach a level where you can rally with others," adding, "However, many drop out along the way due to various factors such as lesson expenses and the attitudes of coaches."
Daewon Next focused on lowering existing tennis barriers. They replaced essential elements needed for court management with technology so that tennis can be played without staff. Players can hit balls without a coach, and they can handle reservations, payments, and center access through unmanned kiosks. Recently, they added a lesson program so that if desired, participants can also receive coaching. A total of 1,500 participants have joined this new tennis culture.
CEO Bang noted, "In a typical lesson business, the operator who owns the court hires coaches, so the burden of rent or management expenses often affects the distribution of revenue among coaches."
He added, "From a coach's perspective, it is inevitable to feel that the revenue structure is unreasonable," and stated, "Daewon Next allows proactive coaches to recruit students directly, changing the structure so that the center only takes a commission based on space usage, thus ensuring coaches more autonomy and revenue."
Furthermore, they are working on developing and supplying solutions that can operate unmanned participatory sports centers. The plan is to create a system that automates all processes, from reservation and payment to access and equipment operation. The goal is to not only reduce operating expenses but also create an environment where users can enjoy sports anytime. This can be applied not only to tennis but also to futsal and pickleball (a new sport that seems to mix tennis, badminton, and table tennis).
CEO Bang stated, "Tennis is just a test bed. The capability to simultaneously design equipment integration technology and community management is our competitive edge." He added, "Starting with unmanned sports centers, we are planning a platform that fosters an environment for people with similar skill levels to compete and eventually hold tournaments, and we aim to transform into a community platform with available space."
Pingpod, which is conducting a similar business in the U.S., has an estimated corporate value of about 83 billion won and has received investments totaling 26 billion won so far. Daewon Next plans to add two more unmanned tennis stores this year, bringing the total to four stores, and will create full-size courts next year. At the same time, they aim to accelerate technology development and community formation.
CEO Bang revealed, "We will establish the 'TGRV' brand as a premium one and plan to venture into the sports fashion and accessory business."