Technology in sports refers to certain means that help athletes achieve goals related to a sport or sports activity. The competitive character and economic investments related to sports lead to attempts to improve practically every segment of sports to achieve better sporting or economic results, and technological development has had the greatest impact on changes that have been happening in sports in the last twenty years.
First of all, sports equipment and props, technology for monitoring competitions are being improved, and sports diagnostics and medicine are being developed. In this article, we will discuss a specific sport that was revolutionized by new technologies in terms of the training process, performances, and engagements of the players. That sport is tennis, and the transformation extends far beyond the court, reshaping fields such as entertainment and the iGaming industry. We will delve into numerous changes that technology brings to tennis training processes, but also other areas of entertainment.
Technology in Tennis Coaching
Video Analysis and Wearables
Video analysis is a very effective way to help a player make technical improvements because it is difficult to detect all the faults a player makes with the naked eye. The analysis that coaches make with the help of videos provides a new perspective and a better understanding of how the player “handles” the ball. Since tennis is a dynamic sport in which all shots are executed more or less while running and at speed, it is difficult to pay attention to movement technique as well as to all movements during exchanges, so coaches rely on cameras and videos that give them material for careful analysis.
Given that tennis is an individual sport that requires exceptional physical fitness, wearable technology, such as smartwatches and body monitoring devices, enables coaches to monitor various variables and adjust training accordingly. For example, coaches can monitor the level of stress, or the heart rate of the players during different situations in the match, and accordingly create conditioning preparation, or even conduct psychological conversations with the players.
AI-Driven Performance Metrics
Artificial intelligence has revolutionized tennis. Although this sentence says more than enough, we believe that there are still those who do not believe in it, so here is some data that will convince you otherwise. Tennis is a technical sport, and the analysis of technical details can lead to a significant improvement in the game of each player, because it gives an accurate vision of what needs to be corrected, from the swing to the shot.
Trainers now have AI, where sophisticated software is fed, or trained, with unimaginable amounts of data, and it can spot patterns that a human could never see. For example, the AI works in such a way that, if a player hits 30 winners from the forehand, it breaks down those shots in several ways, such as whether those shots came during the player’s serve or after the serve. AI requires and analyzes enormous amounts of data, but also builds accurate algorithms, which are used to improve player performance.
Impact on Other Sports
The influence of technology on the performance of players is not only visible in tennis but also in numerous other individual and team sports. Just as sensors are used in tennis that monitor the player’s speed, shots, distance covered during the match, and other relevant data, in cycling for example we have smart cycling glasses that allow cyclists to see their speed, distance, and heart rate data while riding, allowing them to adjust their riding and achieve better results.
GPS devices worn by soccer players during the game have a similar function, and record data on speed, mileage, and the like. Basketball is another sport that relies more and more on technology, so coaches use programs that calculate the players’ potential performance in the game. These programs rely on data analytics, compare two teams, and players, and, accordingly, make estimates of how much each player should play and at what moments a switch should be made.
Influence on Entertainment and iGaming
Sport is closely related to the entertainment industry, so there is no doubt that technology has found wide application in this field as well. The most advanced AI technology leads to personalized content for all iGaming fans, but also the blockchain that ensures that all data is perfectly safe in the online world. Leading online casinos that accept PayPal, go one step further and provide their users with security and a quick and easy payment and withdrawal process. In addition to security and personalized content, casinos also increasingly offer players the opportunity for a superior experience from the comfort of their own homes, which is justified by superior graphics and interactive features.
There are also VR and AR technologies, which offer games another dimension, making the whole experience more interesting and realistic. In tennis, for example, VR can provide real-time statistics and analysis during the match, such as ball speed, shot strength, or shot success statistics.
Conclusion
The application of technology in sports opens up numerous possibilities for the progress of athletes, especially in tennis, where the player is left to himself and the maximum improvement of all elements of his game. The application of AI and wearable technologies contributed the most to changes in the results and ranking of players, while technologies such as VR and AR brought sports closer to ordinary people and allowed them to engage in sports even more through iGaming platforms.
