Several top tennis players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, were asked to remove wearable fitness trackers during the Australian Open 2026. The devices, approved by the ITF and tours, are not permitted at Grand Slams. Players expressed frustration, hoping for a policy change to monitor health and performance.
At the Australian Open in Melbourne, organizers enforced a ban on wearable fitness trackers, affecting prominent players like world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, defending champion Jannik Sinner, and top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka. The devices, such as the Whoop tracker, monitor metrics including heart rate variability, sleep stages, skin temperature, and recovery data, which athletes use to optimize performance and prevent injuries.
Alcaraz was instructed by umpire Marija Cicak to remove his device from under his sweatband before his fourth-round match against Tommy Paul on Sunday. Sinner faced a similar request ahead of his fourth-round victory over Luciano Darderi on Monday, after struggling with extreme heat in an earlier round. Sabalenka, aiming for a third title, was told to take off her tracker following her quarterfinal win on Tuesday.
The trackers are approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the ATP since 2024, and the WTA since 2021, allowing their use in regular tour events. However, the four Grand Slams—Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open—have not cleared them, creating a discrepancy. Tennis Australia stated: "Wearables are currently not permitted at Grand Slams. The Australian Open is involved in ongoing discussions on how this situation could change."
Players voiced confusion and disappointment. Sabalenka explained: "The reason why I was wearing that on court, because we received the email that we got approval from the ITF to wear this device. The whole year we are wearing [it] on WTA tournaments... It's just for tracking my health." She added: "I don't understand why Grand Slams have not allowed us to wear it. I really hope that they will reconsider the decision."
Sinner noted the data's post-match value: "There is certain data what we would like to track a little bit on court... It's more about [what] 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."
Darderi complied readily: "The umpire asked me straight away if this is the tracker... 'Remove'. It's fine... But rules are rules. I understand. I won't use it again."
Whoop CEO Will Ahmed called the ban "crazy," vowing to fight for athletes' access to health data. Former player John Millman described it as "ridiculous," criticizing the ITF for lagging behind. Meanwhile, the tournament provides alternative data via high-tech cameras, tracking distance covered and sprints. The controversy highlights tensions between tour approvals and Grand Slam autonomy.
