The game of tennis is well suited to the implementation of AI as it is so driven by data. For top athletes who want to gain an advantage, AI can make a difference. New AI-driven offerings will help players to improve their game. Tennis generates millions of data points per match, and insights from this data can enhance the game at every level.
An evolution in equipment
Babolat is a leading tennis racquet manufacturer. It is creating tennis racquets with built-in sensors. They can connect to a player’s phone so they can receive feedback on their performance. The sensors collect data which helps to spot patterns and discrepancies in play.
The use of AI is also revolutionizing the way individuals bet on tennis. The use of apps for online sports betting enables them to bet from anywhere at any time. AI is enabling the emergence of new types of bets, such as “in-game” betting.
Virtual training tools
Up until recently, the real-time performance of athletes like tennis players was something of a mystery. With the use of AI and its capacity to interpret data, this is changing. AI can learn the shot patterns and strategies of top players. In the future, players who love playing games will probably be able to practice against top players using video-game-like training tools.
Virtual Reality (VR) can simulate real tennis scenarios to help players improve their games. A smartphone-based video system, SwingVision, can break down performance with details such as winning backhands or errors in forehands.
Player protection
Public personalities like top tennis players may face cyberbullying and harassment. Concerns about the mental health of players mean tournaments are taking steps to protect players in online environments. AI-driven software can help to filter out and block abusive comments on social media. Rolling out of technology like this could create a more positive and supportive atmosphere for players taking part in tournaments across the world.
Electronic line calling (ELC)
Electronic line calling systems use AI technology and cameras. They can determine whether a tennis ball is in or weight with a high level of accuracy. The men’s professional tour has committed to implementing systems like this at all its tournaments by 2025. The technology currently offers more accuracy on grass and hard courts than it does on clay courts.
AI-powered commentary
Wimbledon introduced AI-powered commentary to its coverage in 2023. It used IBM’s Watson AI platform. Data was collected from various sources around a court and fed into the platform. It was processed by AI models and fed into a chatbot-style system to produce a natural language commentary.
The fact that AI can spot patterns humans would never be able to see makes it invaluable in the game of tennis. Infosys Tennis Platform uses valuable data from many matches to form the raw material for its AI and machine learning systems. As the AI market continues to grow, accuracy is improving. Players can analyze a match with more precision.
