Tennis greats have questioned why Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were asked to remove their fitness watches at the Australian Open, as the company behind the device slammed the move.
Eyebrows were raised when Alcaraz was asked by umpire Marija Cicak to remove his WHOOP watch from underneath a sweatband on his right wrist before his fourth round win over Tommy Paul.
As the World No. 1 went to warm up, the umpire asked him to remove the device and Alcaraz obliged, taking the strap from his wrist.
“You’re not allowed to play with a WHOOP watch here or anything that monitors your vitals or anything else,” veteran tennis commentator Mark Petchey said.
The exchange was picked up by TV cameras, prompting a scathing response from WHOOP’s founder Will Ahmed, who hit back at suggestions the technology should be banned across all elite sporting competition.
“Whoop is approved by the International Tennis Federation for in-match wear and poses no safety risk,” Ahmed posted on X. “Let the athletes measure their bodies. Data is not steroids.”
Footage has also emerged of a second instance of a top ranked player being asked to take off their WHOOP.
Sabalenka, the women’s world No. 1, was told by an umpire to ditch the device prior to one of her matches early on during her Australian Open campaign.
Both Alcaraz and Sabalenka complied with the instruction to remove their WHOOP, but they looked disappointed as they sheepishly popped the gadgets in their bag.
Their reactions were understandable given they missed out on key performance data that WHOOP gathers such as step count, heart rate and body exertion used to calculate the device’s all important recovery score.
Australian tennis greats Todd Woodbridge and Lleyton Hewitt said the ban on the devices didn’t make sense.
“I’m not sure what the ITF are doing well at the moment anyway,” Hewitt said on Channel 9.
“They’ve had a horror with Davis Cup and now this, and making new rules now, when you can use it on the WTA Tour, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. They worry (that) you can use it for coaching … well, we’ve got coaching,” Woodbridge said, referring to the courtside coaching pods introduced in recent years.
“Why can’t you have your own data? I don’t understand those rules. it doesn’t make sense. Sometimes our rules in tennis … one rule is over here and the other one says ‘no’. Can we get our rules the same please?”
Tennis Australia said in a statement: “Wearables are currently not permitted at Grand Slams. The Australian Open is involved in ongoing discussions on how this situation could change. Some wearables provide athletes with an indication of internal load (measures like heart rate), which can give them a 360-degree view of the work they’re doing and how their bodies’ respond.
“In terms of other data provided to athletes and their teams at the AO, players can monitor key external load measures such as distance covered, changes of direction, high acceleration events and speed/spin of shots via Bolt 6.”
WHOOP bands are typically screenless devices that track recovery, physical exertion, sleep and body movement.
Heart-rate and blook oxygen level data can be analysed in real time through screens synched with the device.
In a statement provided to news.com.au, a WHOOP spokesperson said: “WHOOP believes athletes have a fundamental right to understand their own performance and health – including during competition at events like the Australian Open.
“WHOOP is approved by the International Tennis Federation for in-match wear and poses no safety, fairness, or competitive risk. Blocking access to personal health data does not protect sport.
“WHOOP will continue to stand with athletes and our members to defend their right to their data.”
Other fitness tracking devices such as Garmins or Apple Watches are not permitted by the ITF, given they have a screen and can be used to communicated and receive messages.
England cricket captain Ben Stokes wore a WHOOP on his wrist during the recent Ashes campaign, and Australia’s Steve Smith has worn the device on his upper arm during Test matches.
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal wore watches including luxury Richard Mille timepieces for sponsorship reasons during matches throughout much of his career.
While WHOOP devices are widely used by elite athletes around the world, some competitions have banned the technology because of its ability to communicate with external parties.
Spanish media have reported Alcaraz wore the device during the his Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 victories.
The six-time grand slam champion is chasing his first Australian Open title — a result that would see him complete the career grand slam of winning all four slams. He is yet to drop a set.
If Alcaraz, 22, can break his Australian duck he will become the youngest man in history to win a career Grand Slam of all four majors.
The incident hasn’t stopped Sabalenka from cruising her way through to the quarterfinals as she aims to win a third Australian Open title.
The 27-year-old, who broke Novak Djokovic’s record for the most consecutive tiebreaks won at grand slams (20), will take on American teenager Iva Jovic in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Four of the eight players in the women’s quarterfinals are Americans, with Jovic, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Anisimova reaching the final eight.
Pegula beat defending champion Madison Keys in straight sets in the fourth round, setting up a quarterfinals clash with Anisimova.