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World First: Humanoid Robot Takes on Tennis Players, Makes Diving Saves and Springs Up After Falls

On August 22, 2026, at the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games, Galaxy General Robot participated in a robot tennis match against top tennis players, broadcast live globally by China Central Television. This is the first time a humanoid robot has demonstrated fully autonomous tennis play in a live major event, showcasing its ability to perceive, decide, and act in the real world. The event marks a significant milestone in embodied AI, transitioning from digital to physical intelligence.

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From Board to Court: The AstraTennis Moment, Embodied AI's Physical Breakthrough

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On August 22, 2026, at the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games, Galbot robots made history by engaging in fully autonomous tennis rallies with top tennis players, broadcast live globally. This is seen as a landmark moment, following AlphaGo, marking AI's transition from digital to physical intelligence.

  • Galbot robots competed in a tennis match at the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games, playing alongside top athletes, with global broadcast by China Central Television.
  • This is the first time globally that a fully autonomous humanoid robot tennis match has been presented in its entirety through a major sports broadcast, covering serves, forehands, backhands, baseline rallies, and net play.
  • The robots demonstrated capabilities including continuous multi-shot rallies, doubles collaboration, extreme saves, and the ability to stand up autonomously after falls, showcasing robust athleticism in real-world conditions.
Open section navigationEvent: First Live-Broadcast Robot Tennis Match

Event: First Live-Broadcast Robot Tennis Match

On August 22, 2026, the World Humanoid Robot Games opened, with Galbot robots invited to compete in a robot tennis match against top tennis players, broadcast globally by China Central Television. This is the first time a fully autonomous humanoid robot tennis match has been presented in its entirety through a major sports broadcast.

On the court, the robots autonomously moved, judged, and struck the ball, demonstrating forehands, backhands, serves, returns, baseline rallies, and net play, while completing continuous multi-shot rallies. In the doubles segment, they collaborated in real-time with human teammates, dynamically adjusting strategies based on the court situation, even making extreme saves during high-speed exchanges.

The robots also exhibited highly human-like movement, such as adjusting their stance with small steps and standing up autonomously after falls to continue the match, demonstrating robust athleticism in real-world conditions.

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This article is based on a single-source report from QbitAI and is a second-hand account. Key conclusions (such as 'global first' and 'technological breakthroughs') are source claims and have not been independently verified. Readers should treat promotional statements with caution.

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  1. 全球首次！机器人迎战网球运动员，极限救球，摔倒光速弹起量子位

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