How AI is changing the tennis world
The dust has settled on the thrilling rallies of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year. But even as the echoes of cheering crowds fade, one thing remains clear: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is serving up a revolution in tennis.
The Australian Open showcased a beautiful partnership between human talent and AI’s analytical prowess. Players are embracing technology as a powerful tool to refine their skills, optimize their training, and gain a crucial edge in the heat of competition. This human-AI collaboration is rewriting the playbook of tennis, and it’s a thrilling story to watch unfold.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines that can think like humans. It can do things that are considered “smart.” AI technology can process large amounts of data in ways that are unlike humans. The goal for AI is to be able to do things such as recognize patterns, make decisions, and judge like humans.
How is it being used in tennis?
Here are four ways that AI is being implemented:
- Electronic Line Calling
The electronic line calling systems that use AI technology and cameras determine whether a ball is in or out within 3.6 millimeters of accuracy. This has eliminated the need for player challenges and has increased gameplay due to not having to wait for the call to be made. The prominent technology currently used on tour is called Hawk-Eye.
It uses a web of cameras placed around the court alongside AI and data to project an estimation of where the ball will bounce by recreating a 3D model of the shot, which is what fans see on TV screens at home and on the court.
2. Virtual Training Tools
AI advancements have also been rolled out in virtual training tools, flooding the market for players at all game levels. One of the most exciting and potentially beneficial is Sense Arena, which uses virtual reality (a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world) to allow players to simulate real tennis scenarios off the court.
In particular, the product is geared toward supporting a player’s mental development. It does this by offering a variety of training sessions that simulate different skills required to win a tennis match. For example, let’s say you know you’re playing against a player who likes to come to the net a lot.
In Sense Arena, you can practice hitting passing shots at game speed, all from your home. So not only can you use this to prepare for matches, but players who are injured can also use this technology to keep their game sharp while they recover, something that is usually extremely challenging to simulate.
3. Player Protection
With more athletes raising concerns about mental health around the sport, tournaments are finally starting to take steps to support players in their virtual worlds as well as when they’re on the court competing.
At last year’s Roland Garros (French Open), the tournament rolled out a new AI-driven software by BodyGuard.ai. Players can integrate the BodyGuard technology with their social media accounts to filter out abusive comments and block abusive remarks.
The company has created word patterns that can be updated in real-time, which would help it filter out abusive comments, adding: “The aim is to let nothing slip through the net while being careful not to be too censorial.”
4. Equipment Evolution
The integration of AI can also be seen in the evolution of the sport’s most essential equipment. Leading racquet manufacturer Babolat has rolled out a series of racquets that feature built-in sensors that can be connected to a person’s phone to receive dynamic feedback on performance.
An accelerometer calculates the direction and speed of the racquet, the gyroscope measures its rotation to tell you more about the spin rate, and the piezoelectric sensor measures the vibrations felt through the racquet that indicates how accurately a player hits the “sweet spot.” This data can then be used to quickly spot patterns and discrepancies to help improve the player’s performance. This evolution in equipment is a perfect example of IoT and AI combining to provide solutions in the sport.
Another example of AI creeping its way into our equipment is the use of “smart” dampeners. Demapeners are traditionally used to reduce vibration felt in the racquet, but their actual benefits are largely debated. Why not make the demapeners smart?
Qlipp is a sensor placed on the strings' body, much like a traditional dampener. Like Bablot’s racquet sensors, Qlipp connects via Bluetooth to your phone and collects data on a player’s strokes, speed, accuracy, and sweet spot vibrations. It can also be programmed to track stats during the game. This likely isn’t an add-on that the pros would use, but for recreational players, having access to these stats and data points is like having a coach in your back pocket.
What companies are leading the charge?
Two main companies are the front runners in bringing artificial intelligence into the tennis game — IBM and Infosys.
IBM is the main proprietor in bringing AI to tennis. IBM’s AI and Watson capabilities are connecting fans and journalists to the game in deeper and more intimate ways than ever before. The two new interactive AI-enabled innovations are Open Questions With Watson and Match Insights With Watson Discovery.
Open Questions with Watson employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities in IBM’s Watson Discovery, IBM Project Debater, and custom AI algorithms to generate and moderate a public conversation during the tournament over questions like “Is Serena Williams the best player in tennis?”
Match Insights with Watson now provides fans with a “tip sheet” for each match. It used Watson Discovery NLP technology and custom Natural Language Generation algorithms to pore over millions of written articles from the news, sports journalism, and other sources to glean the most relevant facts and insights and write short, data-rich articles to raise the curtain on each match-up.
The technology is smart enough to keep an eye on as many as 18 individual matches at a time and can rank the most entertaining points from every match by analyzing player reactions and listening to the sound of the crowd’s reaction.
This type of data collection can give us answers to questions we never thought possible to determine. For example, is player performance affected by the Wimbledon court's quiet or the constant chatter and rumble at the U.S. Open?
In addition, an algorithm called Semi-Supervided Generative Adversarial Network can mimic the brains of the top players who were already trying to predict their opponent’s next shot. Given the data on a particular player, the system could predict how that player would hit the ball on break point if a server went either down the line or out wide. It could also predict the likelihood that a particular player will try to beat an opponent at the net by hitting a lob or passing shot– and how that shot selection might change at different stages of a match. As the technology improves, the possibilities in terms of what information it offers players in their match preparation are endless.
Infosys has been the digital innovation partner of the Australian Open for the past six years and is activating multiple AI-enabled technologies around the 2024 Australian Open, encompassing use cases in fan engagement, athlete performance, and content creation.
For example, on the Australian Open’s website, On the Australian Open’s website, fans can participate in bracket challenges on a daily and tournament-wide basis for the tournament challenge. They will be competing against automated predictions. The Infosys Match Centre platform will also include AI-generated visual cards featuring text, stats, and imagery and audio narration summarizing match play. Infosys’ AI video capabilities are also being used to automate highlights for social media use.
In addition, Infosys’ recent work in the tennis space includes a series of tech activations at last year’s French Open, helping launch the ATP’s Carbon Tracker app in June and developing a virtual version of the International Tennis Hall of Fame that was unveiled in July.
Are there more developments to come in the future?
The implementation of AI in sports like tennis opens doors to endless possibilities. With AI analyzing every aspect of a game, we are entering an era of data-driven coaching, performance optimization, and more accessible engagement for fans.
The real-time nature of AI tracking in tennis is expected to become even more integrated with live broadcasts, etc. Imagine watching a tennis match with a layer of AR or VR data displayed on the court. Stats, player movements, and even the trajectory of the ball could be superimposed onto the live video, providing a unique viewing experience.
AI may soon be able to predict player strategies based on historical data and current performance, making the sport even more challenging and exciting. The applications are boundless, and tennis is just the beginning.
