Top players Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were ordered to remove their Whoop fitness trackers before matches at the Australian Open, sparking a debate over wearable technology at Grand Slams. Tennis Australia confirmed that such devices are not permitted at the tournament, although it said it is in discussions about allowing them in the future.
While wearable technology is approved on the ATP and WTA tours, Grand Slams operate under different rules. The International Tennis Federation approved the Whoop device in December last year, provided haptic feedback is disabled during play. However, Tennis Australia pointed to its existing partnership with Bolt 6, which uses high-tech cameras to provide players with data such as distance covered and changes of direction.
An argument against allowing wearables is that elite players with greater resources could gain an unfair advantage by accessing live in-match data. Before in-match coaching was introduced, tennis prided itself on players solving problems independently on court. Despite this, players argued they wanted to use the devices for recovery data rather than live feedback.
Jannik Sinner, who struggled with heat in his third-round win, said he planned to use the technology to track heart rate and calories after matches. Aryna Sabalenka, a Whoop ambassador, previously credited the device with helping her recovery during her US Open title run in 2024 by monitoring stress levels and advising rest days.
A Whoop spokesperson said the company believes athletes have a fundamental right to understand their own performance and health during competition, adding that Whoop poses no safety, fairness or competitive risk. Tennis Australia said discussions are ongoing about how the situation could change in the future.
