MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Wearable fitness trackers will likely be OK for players to use in future editions of the Australian Open, where leading players Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka have been asked to remove their devices in matches this year.
Alcaraz and Sinner, who have split the last eight major men’s singles titles between them, were approached by chair umpires during the fourth round to take off the straps they usually wear on their wrists.
Video of the interactions has drawn attention to a conflict between regular tournaments and the four majors. Sabalenka dealt with it earlier in the tournament.
The devices are widely used in elite sports to collect physiological data that provides insights about health and performance in training, competition, recovery and sleep.
The technology is approved for use by the International Tennis Federation and by the men’s and women’s tours. So far, the approval hasn’t extended to the four Grand Slam tournaments which include the Australian, French and U.S. Opens and Wimbledon.
So, that’s why the chair umpire approached top-ranked Alcaraz during his fourth-round match against Tommy Paul and asked him to take it off. The 22-year-old Alcaraz immediately complied, taking off his sweatband and removing the strap.
“Wearables are currently not permitted at Grand Slams,” Tennis Australia said in a statement. “The Australian Open is involved in ongoing discussions on how this situation could change.”
Tennis Australia said some wearables provide athletes with an indication of internal load — measures such as heart rate — “which can give them a 360-degree view of the work they’re doing and how their bodies’ respond.”
Tournament organizers said players had access to data at the Australian Open that helped them monitor “key external load measures” such as distance covered, changes of direction, high acceleration events and speed and spin of shots.
The technology provider, WHOOP, describes it as “your 24/7 wearable coach designed to help you improve your health, fitness, and longevity.”
In a social media post, the company said the technology is “performance-enhancing — by design. That’s the whole point.”
“Taking that insight away is like asking athletes to play blind.”
Sinner, the two-time Australian Open winner, said the data collected from his wrist device during matches helps with recovery and preparation for future matches.
“There is certain data what we would like to track a little bit on court. It’s not for the live thing,” he said. “It’s more about you can see after the match. These are data we would like to use also in practice sessions because from that you can practice on with the heart rate, how much calories you burn, all these kind of things.”
After his fourth-round win over fellow Italian Luciano Darderi, Sinner said he also accepted the umpire’s decision immediately.
“It’s fine. There are other things we could use — (like) the vest. But it’s a bit for me uncomfortable — you feel like you have something on the shoulders. It’s a bit different,” he said. “But rules are rules. I understand. I won’t use it again.”
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