Tennis Tech Talk: New WTA App

The WTA launched a new mobile app to help bring fans closer to their favorite players. Tennis Now's Erik Gudris gives his thoughts in "Tennis Tech Talk".

By Erik Gudris

(January 31st, 2013) -- To celebrate their 40th anniversary, the WTA is offering a plethora of new digital offerings including a newly designed website and increased social media platforms. One of these is the new WTA mobile app just launched today for iPhone and Android devices.

Not to be confused with the popular "Live Scores" app that keeps fans up to date on matches in progress, the WTA app is an extension of the website while at the same offering fans the ability to connect with each other in new ways.

After adding it to a phone, the first thing you'll notice is a bright colored grid that features six WTA pros including Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams along with the various options - News, Players, Photos, Tournaments, Videos, and a Fan Wall.

At the bottom of the main screen is a tiny scrolling info bar with a clock on it. Click on that and a new window called "Activity" opens that gives you a timeline of Twitter updates -- one from the WTA's own official account and another tab titled "User" that lists tweets from fans.

Digging deeper into the app through the options on the main screen, users can access the following:

News - Latest articles from WTA.com and from its official Twitter feed
Players - Brief bios including links to a player's own personal social media accounts.
Tournaments - Lists upcoming and past events and allows users to buy tickets, check out photos, and even "check in" using Facebook or Foursquare
Photos - Self-explanatory as it features pics from recent events, the Strong is Beautiful campaign and Instagram
Videos - From events, recent promotions, etc.
Fan Wall - Displays recent tweets and uploaded photos from fans.

Probably the most interesting feature is the "Fan Wall" that allows users to find other users near them, likely through their phone's internal GPS. With increased usage, it's possible the app could turn into a fun way to find and physically meet up with other fans, perhaps at a WTA event.

Need help? Clicking on the bottom scroll bar will bring up the next screen where a small "i" is found in the upper righthand corner. Click on that and there one find hints on using the app as well as an invitation to log in with their personal Facebook or Twitter account so they can earn points and rewards, although it's not clear yet what those will actually be.

While the "live scores" app and Twitter may still be the go-to source for up to the minute results and news, this new app could well turn into a fun resource for die-hard WTA fans, especially if the networking and rewards offers are built out in the future. It's definitely worth a download for those who like having Vika, Serena, Maria and all the WTA stars, at least virtually, right in the palm of your hand.

(Photo Credit: WTA)