WTA unveil analytics programme that could revolutionise the women’s game

WTA President Micky Lawler believes the introduction of a new tennis analytics programme will balance the playing field for players of all levels in the women’s game.
The new programme devised in association with SAP and titled ‘Patterns Of Play’ will give WTA coaches and their players access to data that will allow them to identify and analyse each point that unfolds during match rallies.
Through Patterns of Play, WTA coaches and players can go beyond single-point analysis and access, customise and compare data and insights following a match to strategise and gain a competitive advantage against their next opponent.
“In the past only the top players could afford to hire statisticians to analyse patterns of play and it would take a lot of manual labour and time, but we have now made it available to any player to coach and that is why this is such a great innovation for all players on the WTA tour,” begins Lawler, speaking exclusively to Tennis365 in Shenzhen ahead of the WTA finals.
“Where once it was only the elite players who had a competitive edge, now we have a system that allows everyone to tap into this information and it will push the whole game forward and that has to be positive.
“This is a very useful tool for coaches. It saves them a lot of time, it can support a hunch they may have had about a player or inform them that they are totally wrong and they should look for a new job.
“This programme allows them to go into a lot of depth in analysing their own players and their opponents. You can look at how a player has performed in a single match, a whole tournament or even over an entire season and really begin to identify how a player performs under pressure, where they might take their serve or their return on big points and bring that information on to the court with you.
“The main reason why we are so excited to have this system in play now is that it evens up the field and gives everyone a chance to have high-level analysis available and we believe this will make them even better players, if that is possible after what we have seen. This is another tool to allow them to be at their best.”
SAP and the Women’s Tennis Association announced “patterns of play” this week — a new feature in SAP Tennis Analytics software for coaches. More details 🎾 https://t.co/JIixHXsvl2 #WTA pic.twitter.com/Vab1COAVyg
— SAP PartnerEdge (@SAPPartnerEdge) October 19, 2019
Patterns of play will include the following:
- Rally analysis:This customised view of the court splits it into segments, allowing for enhanced analysis. Coaches can filter data based on priority areas and determine a player’s hit location tendencies in a particular segment and an opponent’s likely responses and reactions during a rally.
- Ball toss analysis:This provides insights into a server’s ball toss, the positioning of the ball on impact and how that affects the outcome on the serves and rally.
- Bounce-to-hit point analysis:Through a sequence of data points, coaches can see historical data examining where a ball is being returned after a serve as well as the success rate. They’ll also begin to understand an opponent’s level of aggressiveness and determine optimal angle creation on the court.
Read an exclusive interview with WTA President Micky Lawler on Tennis365 next week.
Follow us on Twitter @T365Official and like our Facebook page.
Latest
-
Tennis News
Roger Federer sends his fans into a frenzy with Twitter post ahead of his return to action
Roger Federer fans are counting down to his return to action in Doha next week and his tweet teasing his return instantly became a big hit.
-
Tennis News
Iga Swiatek’s perfect week as she claims her second WTA title
Iga Swiatek won her second career WTA title with victory over Belinda Bencic in the final of the Adelaide International.
-
News
Jamie Murray says quarantine threat on tour means players must be ready to adapt
The doubles specialist plans to travel to tournaments in Mexico and Miami next month without knowing what to expect on arrival.
-
Tennis News
Battle of the Brits event is back and this time with spectators
The Battle of the Brits events were a huge success during the Covid-19 crisis and now they are set to return with spectators.
-
Tennis Features
The only way is up for Naomi Osaka as she looks to replicate hard-court success on clay and grass
Oli Jefford on the world being Naomi Osaka’s oyster.
-
Kevin Palmer
Britain’s strength in depth in doubles highlights quality of structure
British tennis may be wondering who can replace Andy Murray, but they have a very different story to tell in the doubles arena.
-
Tennis News
Rafael Nadal pulls out of his next event due to ‘ongoing’ back problem
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the ABN…
-
Tennis News
Lleyton Hewitt to be inducted into International Tennis Hall Of Fame
Former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt is the latest player who will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
-
Tennis Features
Five of the best men’s matches at the Australian Open featuring Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Rafael Nadal, and more
The matches that made us sit up and take note.
-
Australian Open
Five of the best women’s matches at Australian Open featuring Naomi Osaka vs Garbine Muguruza, and more
Five of the best women’s singles matches at the 2021 Aus Open.