The tennis body has said that devices from the STATSports and Catapult firms will be used. (ATP imagery)

Men’s tennis’ top-tier ATP has moved to allow players on the circuit to use wearable devices in matches.

The decision, unveiled by the ATP yesterday (June 28), “ushers in a new era of innovative data-led performance analytics.”

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Players across both the ATP Tour and second-tier Challenger Tour will be able to wear such devices in matches from July 15.

The tennis body has said that devices from STATSports and Catapult will be used, with all data set to be centralized into the player-centric center, named ATP Tennis IQ – Wearables.

That platform was launched last year and aims to “democratize access to match data and insights for players,” part of the ATP’s overall push to bring data and innovation more into focus.

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The ATP first allowed players to use this form of technology at its Next Gen ATP Finals, the season-ending tournament for the sport's best youngsters, in 2019.

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Players were fitted with a GPS receiver and ‘inertial sensors’, measuring velocity and direction, acceleration and force, rotation, and body orientation, as well as quantifying internal load (via the players’ heart rates).

Ross Hutchins, chief sporting officer at the ATP, said: “The introduction of wearables on tour is a big step forward in our push to optimize player performance and prevent injury. Ultimately, empowering players to get the very best out of their careers. We’re delighted to make cutting-edge data insights more accessible than ever and look forward to continuing our innovation in this space.”

The second phase of this initiative, which the ATP has said will incorporate the insights “derived from wearable data and player feedback” will take place later in 2024.