How a wearable caused an Australian Open debate over tenn...

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: Bands designed to track players’ health and performance data on-court are permitted by tennis governing bodies but banned at Grand Slams.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Aryna Sabalenka , the world No. 1, has urged the Grand Slams to reverse a ban on wearable technology after a series of controversies at the Australian Open . (let that sink in)

Sabalenka, along with the top men’s player, Carlos Alcaraz , has been forbidden from wearing a band produced Whoop.

Why This Matters

The band tracks metrics such as heart rate variability, sleep stages, skin temperature and blood oxygenation; World No. 2 and two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner was also asked to remove his ahead of his straight-sets, fourth-round win against Luciano Darderi on Monday.

This is the kind of move that can define a season.

The Bottom Line

This story is still developing, and we’ll keep you updated as more info drops.

What’s your take on this whole situation?