Andy Murray Invests In New Tennis App

A new tennis app launching just before Wimbledon and backed by Wimbledon champion, Andy Murray, plans to make the sport accessible and affordable for everyone.

Deuce aims to welcome new people to the sport by making it easier for them to play and lowering the barriers to entry.

Through the Deuce app players of any age and ability will be matched with the best fit for them, be it coach-led sessions and courts at clubs or parks nearby. The UK tech start up promises to remove barriers such as cost, access to courts, finding friendly clubs, people to play with and confidence that so often prevent people from stepping on court.

Murray, who already has over 30 startups within his expanding business investment portfolio, has made no secret of his passion to grow the game in this country, but this is the first time he has financially backed a tennis specific business.

The three-time grand slam champion said: “There are lots of schemes out there for encouraging participation but this is the first time I’ve backed something like this. The team behind Deuce are really impressive and they have a working knowledge of tennis and tennis clubs in this country so they really understand the issues and the potential.”

“Tennis is such a great sport with so many benefits – physical, mental and social, but we simply don’t have enough people playing in this country. We need to fill empty courts with people playing more often and Deuce uses today’s technology to do this in a simple, welcoming and affordable way.”

Offering a user-friendly format, users join, select their location and can book a court or training session where they will find someone to hit with all at the swipe of a button.

Deuce is the brainchild of Matt Willcocks, former tennis director at Gosling Sports Park, the largest tennis facility in the country.

Willcocks added: “Nowadays everything can be done on the move from your smartphone – whether it’s booking a taxi, takeaway or holiday it’s never been so easy and there’s no reason why playing tennis shouldn’t be the same. Tennis is a fantastic sport, we have the courts, we have the coaches and we know that there are millions of people that are not members of clubs but that want to play more tennis. Using today’s technology Deuce will provide its users with accessible, great value coaching, courts and playing opportunities at the tap of a button. Think AirBnB for tennis with the simplicity of Uber!”

Launched on earlier in May through a regional pilot in Hertfordshire, Deuce is on track to have over 70 clubs and parks in and around London by the end of July, with the free to download app going live the week before Wimbledon.

Following the roll out of the platform in London this summer, the plan is to launch in Scotland and then through ‘hotspots’ across Great Britain.

As well as giving access to courts and supplying organised tennis, designed by specialists and run by welcoming coaches, Deuce will also provide tennis insight, information and news. In time, it will also aim to have the capacity to match members to other players of a similar standard who want to play more.

Initially ‘sessions’ and courts will be available to users free of charge. From July, Deuce members will be able to book a court a day and join a session a week for a monthly subscription fee of £10.