Tennis stars told to ditch Whoop trackers at Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were both ordered to remove their Whoop trackers during matches at the Australian Open, despite the wearables being listed as approved by the International Tennis Federation. Are Grand Slam policies are out of step with the direction the rest of tennis is moving in?
Players push for more in-match data
On Sunday in his 4th round match, Alcaraz was spotted wearing a Whoop on his right wrist and was quickly told to take it off by the umpire. Shortly after, Whoop CEO Will Ahmed voiced his frustration on social media, calling the decision “ridiculous” and stating that the tracker poses no safety risk. “Let the athletes measure their bodies. Data is not steroids!” he added in a post on X.
Jannik Sinner faced the same request in the tournament, after wearing his Whoop tucked under a wristband. Like Alcaraz, he complied, but said afterwards that the decision was disappointing. He explained that he and his team had no intention of using the device for live data, but rather to analyse post-match heart rate, calorie burn and effort metrics. For Sinner, these insights are useful in tailoring future training sessions and refining recovery strategies.
“I understand. I won’t use it again,” he said after advancing to the quarter-finals. “There are other things we could use. The vest with a tracker inside. But it’s a bit uncomfortable, you feel like you have something on your shoulders.”
His comments point to the shift that has been happening in the sport. More players are integrating physiological data into their match preparation and recovery routines. I mean, why wouldn’t they? Aryna Sabalenka was also seen wearing a Whoop tracker during the event
Grand Slam rules lag behind pro tour standards
Tennis Australia, which oversees the Australian Open, confirmed that wearable tech is currently not allowed during play at Grand Slam events. That puts it at odds with the broader rules of the sport. The International Tennis Federation includes the Whoop strap on its official list of approved Player Analysis Technology. The same goes for the ATP and WTA tours, where wearables are permitted under specific guidelines.
That split in policy creates a grey area for players and their teams. On one hand, governing bodies encourage smarter recovery and performance tracking. On the other, players risk penalties if they try to wear the same tech on the sport’s biggest stages.
In most other sports, wearable sensors have become standard. They’re in team kits, shoes and jerseys, often with league support. Tennis remains one of the more conservative corners of pro sport when it comes to tech integration, with Grand Slam tournaments especially reluctant to modernise.
Commercial partnerships complicate the picture
There’s also a commercial angle here. Whoop has marketing deals with several high-profile players and teams, and its strap is marketed specifically as something athletes can wear throughout their day. The brand is known for pushing the limits of real-time physiological data, especially in endurance and combat sports. Tennis fits neatly into that strategy.
But tournament organisers may be wary of giving visibility to commercial brands unless they’re official sponsors. That could partly explain the tension at this year’s event.
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