Several high-profile tennis players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka, have been banned from using wearable fitness trackers during the Australian Open due to a dispute with tournament organizers.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has approved players to use these devices at most tournaments on the men's and women's tours, but the Grand Slams remain exempt. The technology is designed to track an athlete's heart rate variability, sleep stages, skin temperature, blood oxygenation, and detect illnesses, providing valuable insights for coaches to optimize training sessions.
The ban has been a point of contention among top players, with Sabalenka expressing her frustration at being denied access to the device that she claims would help improve her recovery. "I really hope that they will reconsider the decision and let their players track their health monitor," she said.
Sinner, who struggled with heat during his third-round win, also expressed interest in using the tracker to collect performance data for training sessions. However, he was asked to remove the device ahead of his fourth-round match against Luciano Darderi due to a rules dispute.
The ban has sparked criticism from athletes and their teams, with Whoop CEO Will Ahmed stating that it's "crazy" to deprive athletes of vital health data. "We will fight this so athletes can have the data they need," he wrote on X.
The Australian Open is using high-tech cameras to provide players with data such as distance covered, changes of direction and sprints to measure load, but wearable fitness trackers remain off-limits. Tennis Australia stated that organizers are discussing the issue, although no timeline has been set for a potential change in policy.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has approved players to use these devices at most tournaments on the men's and women's tours, but the Grand Slams remain exempt. The technology is designed to track an athlete's heart rate variability, sleep stages, skin temperature, blood oxygenation, and detect illnesses, providing valuable insights for coaches to optimize training sessions.
The ban has been a point of contention among top players, with Sabalenka expressing her frustration at being denied access to the device that she claims would help improve her recovery. "I really hope that they will reconsider the decision and let their players track their health monitor," she said.
Sinner, who struggled with heat during his third-round win, also expressed interest in using the tracker to collect performance data for training sessions. However, he was asked to remove the device ahead of his fourth-round match against Luciano Darderi due to a rules dispute.
The ban has sparked criticism from athletes and their teams, with Whoop CEO Will Ahmed stating that it's "crazy" to deprive athletes of vital health data. "We will fight this so athletes can have the data they need," he wrote on X.
The Australian Open is using high-tech cameras to provide players with data such as distance covered, changes of direction and sprints to measure load, but wearable fitness trackers remain off-limits. Tennis Australia stated that organizers are discussing the issue, although no timeline has been set for a potential change in policy.
. i mean, athletes are literally using them to monitor their health and optimize training sessions at other tournaments... what's the diff? it's not like they're gonna start tracking their tennis serves or something 
. plus, with all the emphasis on player safety and recovery, it's weird that wearable trackers aren't being allowed 
. i think it's a case of the aussie open wanting to stick out from the crowd, but really they should just let the players do their thing 
so like these top tennis players are banned from using wearable fitness trackers at the Aussie Open... i mean it makes sense that they'd wanna track their health and recovery but i get why the ITF would wanna keep it restricted to just regular tournaments 
. it's all about balance, right? i mean whoop CEO Will Ahmed is totally with the players on this one though 
it's crazy! sabalenka said she'd use it 2 improve her recovery but they just shut her down 
. whoop CEO will ahmed is like "fight this" 
i'm team wearables all the way 
. I mean, I get why they want to track their health and recovery - it can't be easy dealing with the physical demands of professional sports. But at the same time, I can see how some people might feel like it's too much for the tournament organizers to handle.
. The technology is already being used in other sports and events, so it seems like it would be pretty straightforward to set up a system for tracking player health data during the Australian Open.
. It could help them optimize training sessions and make their players more competitive. So, I hope they're able to work out a solution soon 
it just dont make sense, especially with all the health concerns and performance tracking data that can be gained from it. i mean, whoop is already saying they're gonna fight for this... and tennis australia is just like "we're discussing it"... come on guys! 
we need to get these devices back on the court ASAP so players can optimize their training and recover faster. this is a major step back for athlete health and performance... and i cant believe carlos alcaraz was one of them who got banned 
if I couldn't track my heart rate variability and sleep stages to optimize my training sessions! It's not like it's going to give me an unfair advantage or anything 