Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka face unexpected device ban at Australian Open
NewsMonday, 26 January 2026 at 18:23
The 2026 Australian Open organizers went against established ATP and WTA protocols when Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka were asked to remove devices tracking their on-court activity.
Although the ATP and WTA provide the system for ranking points players earn at Grand Slams, the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open are International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments.
At ATP and WTA events, players are allowed to use devices to monitor themselves during matches. An example is a watch by the company Whoop, which collects data used for recovery and to identify areas for improvement in the future.
Understandably, Alcaraz, Sabalenka, and Sinner thought they could use their Whoop watches without any issue, as they had done at other tournaments. Instead, that trio was told to take them off.
Footage of Alcaraz receiving that order from the umpire can be seen below. Last year, the Spaniard got agitated when asked to cover up a water bottle, but accepted taking off the watch without any incident.
The players were asked to remove them because of fears about the device being used as a form of communication. It was determined that the technology used for Whoop could be used to pass messages or notifications during a match.
Being this strict is a grey area, since Whoop watches are allowed at ATP and WTA tournaments, and on-court coaching has been allowed at recent Grand Slams after being banned for many years.
That raises the question of whether concerns about communication are as valid. Regardless, there have been no previous concerns raised during ATP and WTA tournament matches about outside communication from the devices.
Sinner was asked about the situation in an Australian Open press conference. The two-time defending champion in Melbourne said the data from the watch is useful, but he has no problem with following the rules.
"There is certain data we would like to track on court, not for the live thing but it’s more about what you can see after the match. These datas we also would like to use in practice sessions because from that you can see the heart rate and how much calories you burn, all these kinda things."
"The umpire asked me straight away if it was the tracker and I said yes, then he asked me to remove it. It’s fine, you know, there are other things we can use but for me it’s a bit uncomfortable [the vest]. But rules are rules and I won’t use it again."
In such a technologically sophisticated edge, players and their teams will adapt and find another way to get whatever data they can. The solution will likely look different for certain players who like operating in particular ways.
One high-profile umpiring intervention was narrowly missed when Novak Djokovic came within inches of hitting a ball kid after striking a ball away in frustration during his match against Botic van de Zandschulp. The tennis legend was very fortunate.
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