Fans attending the upcoming US Open will get an opportunity to see what it’s like to return a serve from Maria Sharapova through the use of VR technology.

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre has sought to offer fans a new immersive experience in their trip to the US Open after commissioning a virtual reality company based in California to deliver a VR engine to pit tennis fans up against the 28 year old who is currently the no.2 ranked player in women’s tennis.

Vice President of Global Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing at American Express Deb Curtis said that the “You vs Sharapova” is the first VR experience to feature live action between a fan and a computer generated image of an athlete

In the past, virtual reality has been more of a passive experience, with people usually just watching. This allows the fan to step into a whole new world.

Virtual reality has often been penned as the next big technology to influence console development and brand engagament and while many companies and brands continue to experience with VR in a way to engage fans, few are being successful in doing so.