Advantage? Fitness Trackers at the Australian Open

Win or lose, athletes will review their performance and strategise on how to improve, often using footage or metrics gathered during gameplay. However, as discussed in a recent article, several tennis players at the Australian Open were required to remove their fitness trackers before matches.

Users of fitness trackers will be familiar with recording their sleep-tracking data, heart rate, and daily step count. However, as wearable devices become more advanced, the range of data available increases. In some cases, wearable devices are used in conjunction with coaching software in a data-driven approach. Measuring body temperature, hydration level, impact forces, and biomarkers associated with stress can aid athletes in ensuring optimum performance and preventing injury. A study of 100 professional Chinese tennis players also suggests that using wearable devices contributes to lower perceived stress and higher resilience.

The proliferation of fitness trackers in professional sports raises important intellectual property questions. Device manufacturers protect their sensor technologies and data processing methods through patents and trade secrets, while coaching software platforms are safeguarded by copyright. The ownership of biometric data generated during matches remains complex, potentially involving the athletes, manufacturers and tournament organisers.

Fitness trackers are approved for Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and International Tennis Federation (ITF) matches, although they are currently not approved for Grand Slams. Tennis and technology enthusiasts alike will be interested to see if fitness trackers are approved for the French Open, which begins in May.

"Wearables provide meaningful insight into workload, recovery, injury prevention, and clinical evaluation," Dr Robby Sikka, medical director at the Professional Tennis Players Association, told BBC Sport.

www.bbc.co.uk/...