TopCourt, an e-learning platform for tennis has signed a deal to become the official e-learning partner for the ATP and the WTA.  The company founded in 2019 counts Venus Williams and Chris Evert as investors. TopCourt charges $15 per month for online tennis lessons.

As part of the partnership, ATP and the WTA will feature TopCourt content on their digital platforms. Fans will also get access to player profiles and trailers of upcoming videos.

According to Crunchbase, the TopCourt has raised $8.5 million in three rounds of funding. The company has been rapidly growing but it has not disclosed revenue numbers.

TopCourt includes tennis lessons from top players and coaches. Popular videos on the platform include the Bryan brothers’ doubles lessons, Iga Swiatek’s visualization lessons, and Paul Annacone’s story of working with Roger Federer and Pete Sampras. 

Have you ever wondered why Wimbledon awards a trophy to the men’s champion and a dish to the ladies champion?

That’s because the primary role of women during the 19th century, when Wimbledon championships were started, was to manage household chores. So the dish is a relic of the past. It’s sometimes seen as sexist by today’s standards.

Venus Rosewater Dish

The ladies winner’s trophy (the dish) is called Venus Rosewater Dish. It was originally made by Birmingham silversmiths Elkington and Co in 1864. It is a replica of the original design by French carver Francois Briot.

The Venus Rosewater Dish was first awarded to the winner in 1886. The names of the ladies champions are engraved in the dish.

The dish features a female seated in the middle of the place with lamp on one hand and a jug in the other. She is surrounded by earth, water, air and fire. The rim features the seven liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, logic, geometry, arithmetic, music and astrology.