“Racket sports are addictive,” says Dmitry Shcherbakov, Founder of Liga.Tennis.
This statement from Dmitry, affectionately known as Dima, is not an empty claim. The popularity of racket sports, particularly tennis and padel, has seen a significant surge in Indonesia.
Data from The International Padel Federation (FIP), cited by the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI), ranks Indonesia 6th for the most rapid padel development in Southeast Asia and 29th in the world. This fact is reinforced by the establishment of the Indonesian Padel Association (PBPI), which has joined the FIP.
This racket sports trend isn't confined to Jakarta; it has spread to cities like Yogyakarta and is most palpable in Bali. On the Island of the Gods, one of the epicenters of this boom is visible through the Liga.Tennis clubs founded by Dima and his wife, Nyoman Ayunanda.
Fueled by the Love of the Racket Sports
The journey of Liga.Tennis began with Dima's personal passion. A Ukrainian man with an athletic background in soccer, he first picked up a tennis racket at the age of 32.
“A friend gave me a free voucher to try tennis. I tried it and fell in love with it from the very first time I played,” Dima told GNFI at Liga.Tennis Umalas on Thursday, November 30, 2023.
His love for tennis sparked the idea to create a digital platform that would make it easier for players to organize matches and record scores. This led him to develop the website portal liga.tennis.
Collaborating with a coach and a programmer, he began turning this idea into reality. Liga.Tennis started with the creation of the digital platform www.liga.tennis. This happened on a symbolic day—February 14, 2017, Valentine's Day, which also coincided with the birth of Dima and Ayu's son, Justin Valentine. On that day, Liga.Tennis was born.
“I realized that even though there were many tennis courts, there was no single place uniting the community. That's where we started thinking about opening our first physical club,” said Dima.
The Long Road to Build Liga.Tennis
The journey of growing Liga.Tennis was not always easy. After the initial investor for their first pioneer club in Umalas pulled out, Dima and Ayu faced a difficult choice: give up or fight. Courageously, they decided to risk everything.
"When the initial investor withdrew, Ayu and I decided to put our house and land in Pererenan up as collateral for a bank loan. We truly risked everything; it was all or nothing,” Dima recalled.
After overcoming the initial funding challenge by securing a property-backed loan, Dima began raising funds from his inner circle (Friends, Fools, and Family).
"After we secured the bank loan using our house, I sent emails to a few people to raise additional capital. I made a very unprofessional projection. We genuinely didn't know how to do it, but I was confident we could make it work,” said Dima.
They quickly agreed to invest. This moment proved that a strong vision can be a compelling attraction. The funds raised were used to build the first physical club in Umalas, Bali.
Subsequently, the liga.tennis web portal was developed into a mobile application named the Liga App. This app makes it easy for members to check court availability.
By 2024, Liga.Tennis has expanded rapidly. They operate several clubs in Bali, located in Umalas, Sanur, Nusa Dua (located at Hilton), Seminyak, Sumba (located at NIHI Sumba), and Ubud.
Behind the long journey of building Liga.Tennis, the role of Ayu as co-founder is equally vital. As a founding partner and Dima's wife, Ayu took on critical responsibilities in business operations, specifically handling legal, financial, and operational control aspects.
"As a co-founder, I focus more on legal, finance, and control. My work is more about decision-making," explained Ayu. Her position in crucial situations requires deep analysis, balancing Dima's role, which is focused on innovation.
Pioneering a Healthy Lifestyle
Throughout their journey, Dima and Ayu have learned many lessons. For them, commitment and consistency are the main keys. “Service consistency is crucial. All clubs must provide the same standard and experience,” Dima explained.
They realized that to compete and grow, they had to build a strong brand with clear core values. One small detail Dima pays attention to is ensuring the scent and friendliness of the staff at every Liga.Tennis club branch meet the same standard.
The important value they want to spread is “Better Living” through racket sports. "We believe Liga.Tennis is creating a new system that is not just about racket sports, but about a lifestyle and a completely new approach to living better,” said Dima.
The concept of mens sana in corpore sano (a sound mind in a sound body) is the philosophy they champion, offering a fun and social healthy lifestyle alternative compared to just going to the gym.
The Ambition to Build 77 Liga.Tennis Clubs
Liga.Tennis has a vision that extends far beyond being just an ordinary sports facility provider. Their long-term vision is to create a new, holistic lifestyle ecosystem, with Indonesia as the heart of the network—a global hub for racket sports.
Their grand dream is to make Indonesia the world's racket sports hub, an ambition born from their success in building a strong community in Bali.
Currently, Liga.Tennis's physical footprint is present in several strategic locations across Bali, including clubs in Umalas, two clubs in Sanur, one in Nusa Dua at the Hilton, one in Seminyak, one in Ubud, and it has even expanded to Sumba in the NIHI area.
This ambition is realized through a measured expansion target. "We have a clear corporate target: within the next nine years, our goal is to open seventy-seven successful clubs worldwide, with the majority in Indonesia," Dima stated.
This strategy allows Liga.Tennis to quickly replicate its success, both by building new clubs and by taking over existing facilities through long-term management contracts. This business model ensures investors get a stable return, while Liga.Tennis maintains brand consistency and operational excellence in every branch.
He defines "success" specifically: each club must achieve a minimum occupancy rate of 70%. In the short term, they aim to open at least 21 clubs by 2026. These quantified targets provide clear direction for the entire team, from housekeeping to the CEO, ensuring everyone is rowing in the same direction.
In building his grand vision for Liga.Tennis, Dmitry Shcherbakov has a specific tennis star in mind for a potential collaboration: Roger Federer. “Roger has always been a tremendously talented figure and an icon. I'm sure one day we will meet, and a collaboration could happen," he said.
Empowering Youth, Sharing Blessings
The development of Liga.Tennis clubs in Bali has also boosted the local economy. Each new facility creates various job opportunities, from housekeeping and gardening positions to tennis coaches. Furthermore, this cashless business also contributes to state revenue through transparent and well-documented tax payments.
Socially, these clubs have become community hubs that unite diverse groups, from local residents and expatriates to tourists, creating a dynamic and healthy social ecosystem around the sports facilities.
Going beyond business, Liga.Tennis demonstrates a deep commitment to grassroots sports development through its Junior Tennis Academy. The academy is designed with a comprehensive system, dividing students into four categories based on age and skill level: red ball, orange ball, green ball, and yellow ball.
This after-school program not only aims to introduce racket sports to the younger generation but also has an elite pathway for talented children who aspire to become professional athletes. "We support local Indonesian and Balinese players who lack the financial means to train; we give them free training," said Dima.
Graduates of the Liga.Tennis academy have achieved brilliant accomplishments on the national stage from 2019–2023. For instance, Eskar Revilla, who achieved the rank of Bali's #1 junior tennis player and became a national champion in both singles and doubles. A similar achievement was made by Agassi Pranata Nida, who topped the Bali junior tennis rankings and became a regional champion.
