IMG Future Stars partners with Sense Arena to revolutionize players’ mental game development

WATCH: Stefanos Tsitsipas and his sunscreen assistant prepare for his upcoming match in Monte Carlo.

Former world No. 1 Venus Williams famously said: "Tennis is mostly mental. You win or lose the match before you even go out there."

While the physical and emotional parts of tennis are constantly generating headlines, the mental third tends to be overlooked when developing a well-rounded tennis game. But as junior players eventually start facing pro-level competitors, it is that mental strength and resilience that sets apart the champions from everyone else.

Now, there's a way to train the brain without hitting the courts thanks to Sense Arena, the world leader in cognitive virtual reality tennis training. A favorite among pros, the next generation of tennis talents will also get to give their headsets and haptic racquets a try after IMG Future Stars recently announced a new partnership with Sense Arena.

“IMG has played a significant role in my development throughout my career and I’m so excited that Sense Arena has collaborated with them to help develop the next generation of tennis players,” said Sense Arena ambassador Linda Fruhvirtova, who recently broke into the WTA Top 50 at just 17 years old.

“Personally, Sense Arena has really helped me enhance the mental aspects of my game over the past few months and I can only imagine how useful it would have been to have such a game-changing tool earlier on in my career when I was growing my tennis game in my early teens.”

Four players will have the opportunity to incorporate Sense Arena’s VR training into their own regimens during the "Road to IMG Future Stars" in the month leading up to IMG’s annual tennis tournament in Athens at TATOΪ Club, which will be held on April 24-30.

Through the partnership, Sense Arena will also introduce a monthly IMG Future Stars VR competition for every tennis user. These matches will take place on a virtual IMG Athens Court, and the winner will be awarded training experience at the renowned IMG Academy in Brandenton, Florida.

“We are thrilled to team up with Sense Arena, as our mission at IMG Future Stars is to empower the next generation of tennis players and provide them with everything they need to compete at the highest level,” said IMG Future Stars Tournament Director and former ATP pro Marcos Baghdatis.

“The benefits of this partnership will extend well beyond our April tournament, as Sense Arena’s incredible technology provides endless potential to impact the future of our sport.”