World Tennis Month: Is Artificial Intelligence taking over the manual game?

As the world progresses Artificial Intelligence (AI) has established itself as the next ‘thing’ in technological developments. From being used by common people in their daily lives, to corporates; from museums and galleries using the same to attract more audience to the field of sports which also rely heavily on the various facets of AI in categories like coaching, practice, professional matches and more; AI is everywhere! . As the World Tennis Month progresses, we take a closer look at the contribution of this development in the various categories related to the game and how it elevates the same.  

How is AI contributing to Tennis?

There are several fields in the game of tennis where AI makes a significant contribution.

Player Analysis: A player not only tries to better their methods of practice but also builds enough knowledge about their opponent. This helps them in gauging what kind of shot they are most likely to face when and what are their opponents strength and weaknesses, which they can use to their benefits. AI helps in selecting match footages and gives detailed insights into shots, player habits, their movements etc.

Technical wearables: Advancement in biomechanics has given birth to video analysis through AI driven wearables. This helps one to identify their moves and what can be worked upon to better their games.

Customised training: After analysing a players’ movement, AI can customise a training program for the individual. It can also browse through previous matches and draft up a move plan to help the individual. It can, to an extent, predict based on data how a match can fare on ground and how a player should prepare themselves for different scenarios.    

Game Decisions: There are times when the game halts because crucial decisions need to be taken. To evaluate and review the situation to near perfection, several AI generated softwares are used that offer a very accurate playback of the game which allows the authorities to take better and informed decisions , which otherwise may be subject to human bias and error.

Logistics: Often match authorities refer to AI-driven accurate weather data before scheduling a match. This is done so that the weather remains clear and it does not cause in disruption to the game. Additionally, ticket reservation and purchasing has also become heavily dependent on technology.

Fan engagement: Apart from the expert players, AI is often used to engage fans and create a buzz around the game itself. Many platforms allow fans to upload their sport moves and provide AI generated feedbacks on it. For those who cannot make it to the live games, have forever, experienced a match through broadcast aided by witty commentaries. These commentaries or scripts are often auto generated through AI. This is also used to playback certain highlight moments of the match that viewers love to experience over and over again.