Australian Open: Company behind controversial fitness device ‘has already won’ after ‘ridiculous’ ban
The debate around the fitness device that the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been asked to remove at the Australian Open continues with a former player saying the ban is “ridiculous” while others believe the company behind the tech “has already won”.
World No 1 Alcaraz fell foul of the rule as he was asked to remove the device – which collects health data – during his match against Tommy Paul and Sabalenka and Sinner were also asked not to wear the wristband.
Whoop is the company behind the tracking equipment that is designed to monitor overall health 24/7, with recovery, cardiovascular strain, and sleep among things that are tracked to give daily insights into your body.
And the company has made the most of the controversy as it posted a video on the social media site X of Alcaraz, and Sabalenka and other sporting stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Rory McIlroy sporting the device.
It then takes a dig at the Australian Open organisers at the end where Alcaraz is seen taking the wristband off while playing at Melbourne Park.
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The post is accompanied by the caption: “We empower athletes when it matters most. We help them rise to sport’s biggest moments.
“The wins. The records. The history. Always on. Well, almost always.
“Right, @carlosalcaraz.”
And that prompted Alcaraz insider and journalist German R. Abril to reply: “Whoop has already won the @AustralianOpen.”
But the confusion over the rules about the device continues with Sabalenka stating after her latest match: “If I was using it on the court, it’s because we received an email from the ITF with full approval to use this device. I didn’t know in Grand Slams they hadn’t come to the same conclusion.
“I don’t understand why, honestly, because we have been using it all year. In all WTA tournaments, we use the WHOOP.
“It’s simply to track our health, so I don’t understand why the Grand Slams don’t allow us to use it. I truly hope they reconsider this decision and let their players monitor their health.”
The uncertainty arises from the fact that the ITF doesn’t run the four Grand Slams as the Grand Slam Boards are responsible for the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open regulations.
The ITF does have a place on said board, but they will always get outvoted by the four majors.
Former Australian player John Millman told Channel Nine: “I think it’s ridiculous. The ITF have been caught sleeping, on their back foot.
“They haven’t got up to date with it at all. It’s ATP and WTA approved as long as the haptic feedback – the vibrations – is turned off. The ITF have been falling asleep.”
Again, it has to be pointed out that the ITF does not have the final say about the four Grand Slams.
Respected tennis coach Sven Sven Groeneveld had the following to say on X: “I think you need a deep dive in tennis politics to understand the WHY behind this. Players have been taken advantage of for decades.”
