Tennis, as we know it today, has come a long way from its wooden racquet and ankle-length skirt origins. The game that we see today has transformed thanks to many factors, but one arguably takes the cake. And that factor is technology. From hawk-eye line calling to graphite racquets, we have various technologies to thank for creating a game that is virtually unrecognizable each decade.
The improvements across all areas of pre-, during, and post-play for athletes, coaches, and fans are immeasurable. But for everything that technology has given us, is it all positive?
It is vital to go back to where it all began. The first big development of the game with the use of technology had to do with equipment. In the 1970’s, graphite tennis racquets were slowly introduced to the tennis scene providing players with lighter and more maneuverable racquets.compared to wooden ones.
More technological advancements across design, materials, and manufacturing have created racquets that allow players to play with more power, spin, and precision than ever before. Racquet head sizes, the materials and tensions and strings, and even the addition of weight in the grips and across the racquet all allow players to essentially play at the highest possible level.
Not to mention other equipment factors too such as different tennis shoe soles that allow optimal movement across different surfaces.
The development of tennis shoe soles specific for hard courts for example now allows players to actually slide on hard courts, a feat that was not possible before the developments.
Moisture-wicking fabrics and clothes also allow players to perform in more comfort and style as well as have better protection from the elements.
However, with all this development and improvement there are a few negative factors. The first is continually developing technologies across equipment, especially tennis racquets,
which can actually lead to injury.
New racquets with bigger head sizes, grips, and heavier elements can cause injuries in players if their new equipment is not aligned with their technique, age, and physique. This is especially evident in junior players who make too quick of a switch to a new model, weight, and tension of racquets and strings.
Tennis elbow and shoulder pains are the most common injuries to arise in these circumstances. Having so much variety and options when it comes to equipment can overwhelm players and lead them to pick a racquet and strings that can actually hurt their bodies, no matter how innovative the technology is in creating them.
Furthermore, technology has changed the way we analyze and experience tennis. Electronic line-calling or Hawk-Eye as it is commonly known revolutionized umpiring in tennis.
This technology allows for accurate analysis of the exact placement of the ball for review with very small margins of error within 2-3 mm. Multiple cameras placed around the court allow
for 3-D tracking of the ball's path and a video reply of its exact flight path.
Players can elect to challenge a call they disagree with and are typically allowed 3 challenges per set (one extra for a tie-break). If they are correct they keep their challenge, otherwise, they lose one challenge.
Hawk-Eye greatly assists umpires and players in decisive moments of matches and helps control the frustration and behavior of players and fans during play.
However, there are downsides to the use of Hawk-Eye. Firstly, with players only allowed a small number per set, they could lose their challenges and not have any left for an important call later on in the match. This can make them very frustrated and emotional on the court.
Next, due to costs and other factors, Hawk-Eye technology is typically not available on every court across all matches in tournaments and even Grand Slams.
Notably, Hawk-Eye is not used on clay, even at the French Open. This presents an unfair advantage to players who do not have access to Hawk Eye on their match court. It also creates an imbalance as players may be used to utilizing Hawk Eye in some matches and then not in others.
This also creates pressure on umpires who do not have access to Hawk Eye for perfect calls as well as the frustrations of players, coaches, and spectators who may not agree with calls made.
The biggest issue that Hawk-Eye could bring about is the elimination of the need for line judges and umpires. If Hawk Eye can accurately make line calls and officiate what is to say that the technology will not wipe out the careers of line-judges and umpires completely?
Not only will this eliminate many jobs but it will also make tennis even more reliant on technology. During COVID-19, we saw many tournaments utilize the technology instead of using line-judges for calls. While the technology could eliminate the need for so many people on the court, it could also allow technology to completely take over the traditional aspects of the sport.
Another aspect of technology that is aiding players and coaches includes a variety of different devices and contraptions that help analyze and review every aspect of the game.
Wearable tracking and GPS devices can help monitor everything from an athlete's sleep patterns to their physical conditions and bodily functions such as heart rate.
This helps players and coaches understand the athlete's body better and aids in helping athletes recover, prepare, and perform. New devices and machinery to assist players with rehabilitation such as cryo chambers and electrotherapy reduce injuries and help players overcome them.
Coaches can also use technology through apps to track a player's statistics in real-time across training and matches, for example, double faults hit or the percentage of forehand winners. This greatly helps them know what to work on with their player and assists in player improvement.
Fans can also track information in real time and be more connected to the statistics behind the performances of their favorite players. We see this often with tournaments pulling up a graphic of percentages after every set played which also helps commentators talk about the dynamics of the matches to fans with better accuracy and description. None of these things would be possible without the constant development in technology across all aspects of tennis.
However, these technologies create large discrepancies and inequities when it comes to athlete development. While Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek can afford technologies to help improve all elements of the game, the 500th player in the world certainly can not.
This bridges the gap between players and gives those in the upper echelons a further unfair advantage. This inequity is directly related to not only player performance but also prize earnings in higher-level tournaments.
Higher-ranked players with better access to technology play in higher-level tournaments and earn even more money which allows them to access even better technologies that further improve their games. It can become incredibly difficult for lower-ranked players to than ever be able to break through and play and earn at a higher level to support their careers and livelihoods.
Technology in the form of social media is also a very large element of the game now. Fans can interact with players and follow their every move through posts generated both by players and their teams as well as fans and media outlets themselves. The “influencing” of tennis has made top stars celebrities in the media world as well as on the court.
While social media can help boost interactions between fans and players, offer more sponsorship and collaborative income, and offer a glimpse inside athlete’s lives it has many downsides.
The invasion of privacy of players and those in their teams especially within their personal relationships is extremely common. Online bullying, stalking, and even violence also threaten players and their teams. The connection between social media and sports betting becomes apparent as another big issue.
From all levels of tennis, anyone on any device can now bet on matches.
Players can become a target for angry betters who can stalk and harass them on social media accounts as well as in real life. This scary reality was something I went through playing UTR Pro tournaments and also many of my friends across all levels of play. The ramifications can be brutal not only on the personal safety of players and their teams but also on their mental health. Many athletes have faced bullying and harassment across different levels of media leading to issues such as depression that hinder their ability to perform and more importantly their quality of life.
It is evident that tennis would not be where it is today without the various technologies that have developed all aspects of the game. While players are performing like never before, and players, coaches, and fans alike are experiencing significant benefits, they are not all positive.
The matter at hand could be that perhaps technology is moving too quickly in developing tennis for the benefits to be mostly positive. Or is it somehow possible to better control and maintain the balance between the different elements of technology in the sport?
Technological development is definitely something that has helped and will continue to help develop tennis in the future. But could technology in tennis actually be doing more harm than good?
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