Today’s Power Up is very racket sport-focused thanks to a busy day of reporting from my SBJ Tech teammate Rob Schaefer.
We cover a wearable controversy, some new investments, and the growth of padel in the U.S. Let’s jump right in. — Ethan Joyce
In today’s edition of Power Up:
- Australian Open not allowing wearable technology for players
- AO Ventures reveals first four investments of $40M fund
- No Strings adds F1 Arcade founder Adam Breeden as advisor
Australian Open not allowing wearable technology for players
Australian Open officials have made headlines recently for requesting players take off their Whoop devices during matches. Over the weekend, top seeds Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were made to remove their wrist-worn wearables, which track biometrics related to sleep, stress, recovery and other areas.
The exact reason remains unclear.
According to the International Tennis Federation’s rulebook, which purportedly applies to tennis’ four independently operated Grand Slams, Whoop 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and MG devices are permissible to be worn on-court as approved Player Analysis Technology (PAT) products.
But evidently, the Slams maintain autonomy over approved devices at their events.
Tennis Australia said in a statement that, “wearables are currently not permitted at Grand Slams,” and that “the Australian Open is involved in ongoing discussions on how this situation could change.”
“In terms of other data provided to athletes and their teams at the AO, players can monitor key external load measures such as distance covered, changes of direction, high acceleration events and speed/spin of shots via [tracking technology provider] Bolt 6,” Tennis Australia’s statement continued.
A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which operates Wimbledon, referred to Tennis Australia’s statement when contacted by SBJ, saying, “this is not currently allowed at Grand Slams, but we are discussing how this could change in the future.”
The USTA (U.S. Open) and French Tennis Federation (French Open) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Slams’ rules, however, differ from guidelines set out by the ATP and WTA Tours, which are governed independently both from each other and each of the Slams.
The ATP only allows athletes to use wearable technology from two vendors during matches -- Catapult and STATSports -- while the WTA (which signed a marketing deal with WHOOP in 2021 that has since expired) requires pre-approval from the tour and Player Analysis Technology guidelines.
Sinner was asked by reporters in Melbourne about the incident, to which he replied, “rules are rules.” But he noted his use of the technology is for post-match analysis for training purposes, not real-time strategizing.
“There is certain data we would like to track a little bit on court,” he said. “It’s not for live, it’s more for what you can see after the match and this data is what we would like to use in practice sessions -- heart rate, how much calories you burn, those kinds of things.”
Sabalenka, who has an active endorsement deal with Whoop, said in a press conference she wore the Whoop because players received an email saying the ITF had approved the device, and that she wears it during WTA tournaments throughout the year.
“I didn’t know the Grand Slams didn’t come to [this] conclusion,” she said. “It’s just for tracking my health. I don’t understand why Grand Slams are not allowing us to wear it, and I really hope they will reconsider the decision and let their players track their health.”
It is the latest example of the fragmented nature of tennis’ global governance, and the confusion it can cause.
Whoop, for its part, got in front of the story by widely issuing a statement in response to the Sabalenka, Alcaraz and Sinner incidents. The company’s founder and CEO, Will Ahmed, has also been active on social media, calling for the Slams to “let athletes measure their bodies!” (Tuesday evening, Ahmed even said the company would overnight ship its sensor-embedded Whoop Body apparel, including undergarments, for players to discreetly use.)
“Whoop believes athletes have a fundamental right to understand their own performance and health -- including during competition at events like the Australian Open,” Whoop’s statement says. “Whoop is approved by the International Tennis Federation for in-match wear and poses no safety, fairness, or competitive risk. Blocking access to personal health data does not protect sport. Whoop will continue to stand with athletes and our members to defend their right to their data.”
AO Ventures reveals first four investments of $40M fund
AO Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tennis Australia and the Australian Open, has made four investments since closing its first $30M USD fund (which eventually grew to $40M from additional investor demand) one year ago.
On Monday, Tennis Australia revealed the fund’s full portfolio -- so far -- for the first time:
- Bolt6: The Australian Open’s electronic line-calling vendor and partner in several other activations that rely on its cloud-based, ball/player tracking technology (including animated alt-casts). Bolt6’s technology has also been used by the ATP and WTA tours, UFL, NASCAR and PGA Tour.
- Raven Controls: A software platform for real-time incident management and operations coordinating at large-scale venues, and graduate of the AO Startups accelerator, used by the United Cup tennis tournament (owned by Tennis Australia), ASM Global, Liverpool FC, Wembley Stadium, UEFA, LIV Golf and the Toronto Blue Jays.
- Mindspring Padel: A firm that helps racket sports facility owners finance the addition of padel courts.
- Padel Haus: A N.Y.-based padel club operator with open locations in Brooklyn (three), Nashville, Atlanta and Denver.
Machar Reid, Tennis Australia’s Director/Innovation and a General Partner of AO Ventures, told SBJ AO Ventures’ target remains 20 investments within four years of the fund launching, with a focus on sports technology.
Padel Haus, a club operator, is an outlier, but speaks to Tennis Australia’s bullishness on the sport both abroad and in the U.S. -- where, as of tennis/padel software application Playtomic’s latest research report, there are about 800 courts. (Tennis Australia is the governing body of the sport in Australia as well.)
“There’s a real opportunity for it to take hold in the U.S.,” Reid said. “What you tend to find as markets mature as well is that the more sticky padel becomes, the more players gravitate towards wanting to play indoor. [Padel Haus] have been getting a foothold in premium indoor facilities early. We really like that model.”
No Strings adds F1 Arcade founder Adam Breeden as advisor
Soon-to-launch padel club operator No Strings Inc. has added F1 Arcade founder and hospitality mogul Adam Breeden as an advisor. Breeden -- who also co-founded the “eatertainment” brands Flight Club Darts, Puttshack, Bounce and Hijingo -- will focus his time with No Strings consulting on brand positioning, venue design, corporate development and licensing strategy as the company prepares to open its first flagship location in Q3 or Q4 of this year.
No Strings also recently brought on Joey Gonzalez, CEO of the workout class gym Barry’s, as an advisor in December and is raising a $6M seed round with assistance from Oakwell Sports Advisory. It closed a $1.3M pre-seed in March 2025.
No Strings was founded by hospitality entrepreneurs Dov Penzik (Breeden’s co-founder of Bounce) and Charlie Myers in 2024. The company is seeking to capitalize on projected growth in the U.S. padel market, which as of mid-2025 sat at around 800 courts (according to software provider Playtomic) but is expected to grow into the thousands in the coming years.
More headlines from SBJ
- Portland Fire add Chime as a jersey patch sponsor
- White: UFC to pay for entire White House card; no taxpayer funds being sought
- Clark to join NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Basketball’ pregame coverage
- On Time Agency and Insight Sports Advisors team up to serve retired athletes
- What Roger Denny’s hire signals about Oklahoma’s shifting athletics power structure
- Houston Dynamo seeing surge in ticket, sponsorship sales early