AI technology 'has transformed tennis'

Russia's Veronika Kudermetova returns the ball to US' Madison Keys during their women's singles match on day nine of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 30, 2022. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)

Russia's Veronika Kudermetova returns the ball to US' Madison Keys during their women's singles match on day nine of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on May 30, 2022. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)

Published Jun 1, 2022

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Artificial intelligence has changed tennis "forever". Craig O'Shannessy - who is a prominent strategist and coach - has acknowledged that data and analytics have transformed the sport over recent years.

He said: "AI can sniff out areas of significances. Humans do a very bad job at layering data, whereas AI can do it in seconds."

Craig noted that cutting-edge technology can help to identify distinct patterns of play during a match.

And using that data, coaches and players are able to adjust their tactics in order to maximise their chances of winning. He told the BBC: "We've stumbled around for decades trying to bring all this together."

An increasing number of players are using the Roland Garros Players App at this year's French Open. The app can help players to formulate their tactics for facing a specific opponent, who may have a particular set of strengths and weaknesses in their game.

Raghavan Subramanian - the head of the Infosys Tennis Platform - said: "We saw a 51 percent jump in the use of the RG Players App in 2021, compared to the previous year, with 1,100 players and coaches using AI-powered videos."

AI technology is also improving the viewing experience for fans. Raghavan explained: "Fans are able to access and analyse match highlights and other smart playlists almost immediately after a match."

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