Top tennis players Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka were instructed to remove their Whoop fitness trackers during the 2026 Australian Open. The devices, approved for ATP and WTA tours, remain banned at Grand Slams amid ongoing debates over player welfare and data rules. Tournament organizers are in discussions to potentially allow them in the future.
The 2026 Australian Open sparked controversy when officials asked three of tennis's biggest stars to remove wearable fitness trackers before their matches. Carlos Alcaraz was directed to take off his Whoop band, hidden under a wristband, ahead of his fourth-round clash against Tommy Paul on Sunday. Similarly, world number two Jannik Sinner removed his device before his own fourth-round match, while women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who endorses Whoop, was told to do so prior to her first-round outing.
These trackers monitor metrics like heart rate, sleep, strain, stress and recovery, providing players with insights into their physical demands. Although the ATP approved their use in matches in July 2024 and the WTA has permitted them since 2021, Grand Slam tournaments operate independently and currently prohibit them. The International Tennis Federation lists Whoop among approved player analysis technologies, but the Slams have not followed suit.
Whoop criticized the decision, stating: "Athletes have a fundamental right to understand their own performance and health—including during competition at events like the Australian Open." The company's founder, Will Ahmed, called it "ridiculous" on social media, urging: "Let the athletes measure their bodies." They further likened the ban to "asking athletes to play blind," emphasizing no safety or fairness risks.
Jannik Sinner acknowledged the rules post-match, noting the devices offer valuable health data for post-match review, though an alternative tracking vest feels uncomfortable. "Rules are rules and I understand and I won’t use it again," he said.
Tennis Australia explained that players receive alternative data through the Bolt 6 system, tracking external loads like distance covered, accelerations and shot speeds. However, experts argue wearables provide deeper internal insights crucial for injury prevention and welfare. Dr. Robby Sikka, medical director at the Professional Tennis Players Association, told BBC Sport: "Wearables provide meaningful insight into workload, recovery, injury prevention, and clinical evaluation." He called for consistent, science-based policies rather than abrupt bans.
The fragmented governance in tennis—spanning ATP, WTA, ITF and independent Slams—complicates uniform rules. Potential concerns include data ownership, commercialization and competitive edges from sponsorships. Tournament officials confirmed ongoing discussions to possibly revise the policy, highlighting broader worries about the sport's intense physical and mental toll on players.
Stephen Smith of Kitman Labs, which supplies data analytics to leagues like the NFL and Premier League, stressed tennis's lag in data collection. "There is a huge opportunity for tennis to start understanding how you apply tech and data to improve player welfare," he said, pointing to successes in American sports where data informs rule changes and injury reductions.