Tennis says no to technology: at the Australian Open the referees forced Alcaraz and Sinner to remove the “whoop” which is used to monitor biometric parameters
In millionaire tennis, a small 300 euro object has become a case that involves Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka. All of them were recalled by the Australian Open referees because they had a watch that measures the data under their cuffs. The “whoop” it is used at all levels, even by those who play sports at an amateur level and certainly do not earn the sums of the racket champions. In Melbourne first Alcaraz in the match with Tommy Paul and then Sinner in the match with Luciano Darderi were forced to remove the bracelet by the referees.
What is whoop?
This is a screen-free bracelet that must be worn 24 hours a day: the main function is to collect data such as heart rate, sleep stages, skin temperature, oxygenation and other useful data for reading fatigue, recovery and physical performance. As we said, everyone uses it, even ATP tennis players. So what is the problem? The different rules of the so-called normal tournaments compared to the Slams which travel on their own rules. In Australia, prior authorization is required and there is an absolute tendency to prohibit the use of any device that transmits data externally. On the subject, Sinner said: “In reality we use this data to analyze it after the match, not in real time. We also need it to plan training sessions based on your heart rate and the energy you burn. The referee told me to remove it and I did.” Therefore, no controversy from the tennis players, but a sharp response from the company that has been producing the “whoop” since 2012: “Ridiculous story, the data is not steroids”.
The battery
The whoop has a battery that charges on the wrist directly via wireless, the duration is between four and five days. It doesn’t have a screen or audio notifications, but a constant stream of biometric data is stored and sorted in real time on the dedicated app. The parameters measured are: number of breaths per minute, blood oxygenation, resting heart rate, time between two heart beats, skin temperature variation, monitoring physical recovery and sleep quality. In all circles amateur tennis players wear it. But at the Australian Open Alcaraz and Sinner cannot wear them.
