Vimalraj Jayachandran Claims First VR Tennis Esports World Title

Indian esports and virtual sports have a new champion. Vimalraj “VRJ” Jayachandran has secured the first-ever VR Tennis Esports World Championship, an event held in Las Vegas that gathered elite VR athletes from around the world. His victory, achieved while representing NoScope Gaming, not only marks a personal milestone but also sets a historic precedent for India’s presence in global competitive VR games. Jayachandran’s background as a real-world tennis pro was on display throughout the tournament, bringing authenticity and strategy to a scene defined by its rapid growth and innovation.

The 2025 WTEC World Finals at Las Vegas were a showcase for the rising potential of VR esports. Jayachandran, who previously competed as a top tennis professional, leveraged his deep knowledge of the game and new technical skills in immersive esports. After qualifying through intense regional and international brackets, he dominated the finals to clinch the championship.

His team, NoScope Gaming, celebrated the win as a major leap for Indian VR and esports. “Blessed and humbled to be the 2025 world champion in tennis esports. Even better feeling to represent India on this global stage,” Jayachandran posted after the win. His performance has been widely praised by the Indian esports community, industry leaders, and fans, many of whom see this as a breakthrough moment for Indian players in the high-tech world of VR sports competitions.

Jayachandran’s achievement is another sign of India’s rising ambitions in the fast-evolving esports sector, as more athletes from traditional sports turn to digital arenas and the nation’s competitive scene grows. The win also shines a light on the opportunity for VR technology to make it to traditional sports. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) started exploring virtual sports in 2021 to reach younger audiences and promote digital innovation. Their first big event, the Olympic Virtual Series (OVS), happened online during the COVID-19 pandemic. It included virtual versions of baseball, cycling, rowing, sailing, and motorsport using popular gaming platforms. While not fully based on VR, it helped connect traditional sports fans with the gaming world and encouraged mass online participation. The OVS was not part of the official Olympics and didn’t award medals, but it was a step toward blending physical and virtual sports.

Building on this, the IOC held the Olympic Esports Series (OES) in 2023, featuring ten virtual sports, including some with VR elements like Virtual Taekwondo. This event combined amateurs and pros and was held in Singapore. The next big step, the Olympic Esports Games, will debut in 2027 in Riyadh. This will be an official four-year esports event focusing on Olympic-style sports with possible VR games like VR table tennis. VR tennis fits well with this direction by offering immersive sport simulation, blending real athletic skill with digital interactivity, making it a natural candidate for future Olympic esports competitions.