Aryna Sabalenka frustrated by Australian Open’s ban on wearable fitness trackers

Aryna Sabalenka said she didn’t understand why she was ordered to remove a wearable fitness tracker before one of her matches at the Australian Open and urged the grand slam tournaments to reconsider the policy.

Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been spotted at the Australian Open wearing a Whoop fitness tracker on their wrist but have been told to remove them because they have not been approved by the organisers of the grand slams.

They were last approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in December, while the WTA has had a partnership with Whoop since 2021 and the ATP approved their use in 2024.

Tennis Australia, the organiser of the Australian Open, confirmed that the wearable wrist technology is not permitted at the grand slams – although it said that the tournament is “in discussions” over allowing such devices in the future.

“The reason why I was wearing that on court, because we received the email that we got approval from the ITF to wear this device. I didn't know that grand slams didn't come to conclusion,” Sabalenka said after her quarter-final win over Iva Jovic.

“I don't understand why, because the whole year we are wearing, on WTA tournaments, all the tournaments I play we wear Whoop. It's just for tracking my health.

“I don't understand why grand slams are not allowed us to wear it, and I really hope that they will reconsider the decision and let their players track their health monitor.”

Sinner was ordered to remove a Whoop device, which was hidden underneath his wristband, before his fourth-round match against Luciano Darderi on Monday.

The previous day, Alcaraz was also stopped from wearing a Whoop device by a tournament official after it was spotted mid-match. Sabalenka had hers removed earlier in the tournament.

“Wearables are currently not permitted at grand slams,” a Tennis Australia spokesperson said. “The Australian Open is involved in ongoing discussions on how this situation could change.”

open image in gallery

Sabalenka is a Whoop ambassador and explained how she used the technology to assist her recovery during her US Open title run in 2024. In a video published by the WTA, she explained that the Whoop band monitored her stress levels between matches and the data advised her to take days off after it found she was in the “red zone”.

Sinner, who struggled with the extreme heat during his third-round win, said he was planning to use the technology not for in-match use but to inform his recovery before the quarter-finals.

“There is certain data what we would like to track a little bit on court,” Sinner said. “It’s not for the live thing. It’s more about [what] you can see after the match.

“These are datas what we would like to use also in practice sessions, because from that you can practice on with the heart rate, how much calories you burn, all these kind of things.”

After Alcaraz was caught wearing the technology under his wristband on Sunday, the Whoop founder and CEO Will Ahmed posted on X (Twitter): “Ridiculous. Whoop is approved by the International Tennis Federation for in-match wear and poses no safety risk. Let the athletes measure their bodies. Data is not steroids!”