LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 1: Cameras used with hawkeye technology for line calling are seen during play on day two of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 1, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Visionhaus/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz continues to take the breath away at the top of the elite tennis tree with another trophy at the Japan Open, but even the world No. 1 can’t do it without a few gadgets. The Spaniard recently revealed that he wore a high-tech patch to regulate sweat and track hydration. Technology and AI in sports can give that extra one or two per cent that makes the difference at the elite level.
But most players aren’t Next Gen superstars like Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner. Athletes of all shapes, sizes and levels are benefiting from IoT-enabled wearables and devices that track numbers, miles and kilojoules. However, Artificial Intelligence can bring even more clarity and efficiency to the sporting sphere by applying human-like awareness, providing insights into how and where things can be more effective. The AI sports market is estimated to be worth almost $30 billion by 2032.
SportAI is a B2B company that provides AI-powered, instant real-time analysis for players and fans, evaluating those hidden metrics and movements that the naked eye cannot compute. Based in Oslo, the firm is headed by Lauren Pedersen, who is a former NCAA Division I tennis player and a great advocate for the accessibility of AI-driven data for the many rather than the few.
I discussed and trialed the latest developments in the luxurious grounds of Roehampton Club in South West London. The grass courts weren’t a million miles away from the famous SW19 lawns, and while the quality of ball-striking from the author was underpowered, to say the least, the presentation of the analysis was top of the range.
Wimbledon has vaporised personnel in favor of electronic line calling. In that sense, the march of technology is supposed to add layers of new meaning rather than alienate the audience. Take the way SportAI spread the word.
“We are really focused on using computer vision and democratizing access to high-quality technique and tactical analysis,” said CEO Pedersen. “We work with streaming companies, a bit like a Strava of tennis, and then put together automated highlights that players can download and use for motivation to improve.”
The Norwegian company’s tech has already helped deliver solutions to those at the very top, but it can reach out to multiple businesses, organisations and individuals in the recreational game. There are millions of players out there who want to improve, but don’t have the data sets to hand. Now that’s a problem that SportAI is happy to solve.
“We are working with leading academies, federations and racket providers, but the product is so scalable as most people have a mobile phone. We can take a video from any source, including smart devices and court-mounted cameras and provide data stats to motivate players who can then take the information and improve.”
Most players don’t know what the right weight or tension of their racket should be, so this tool can even be used to find the right piece of equipment for the style, technique and torque. As Pedersen says, a Roger Federer racket might be wishful thinking when the individual requirement is so different. That, in itself, brings a revenue stream for brands and retailers through recommendations.
The data provided is the kind of detail that can be the extra eye, looking at all the movements of a player’s game. “We can break it down to the biomechanics,” says co-founder and head of commercial operations, Trond Kittelsen. “We can evaluate the kinetic energy of the hip, shoulder and wrist sequence, seeing how the transfer of energy happens. We can study the swing curve, rotate the angles, provide 3D images and rate the scores as compared to a professional player or thousands of others.”
An attendee hits balls with a Sony bluetooth tennis racket, while his real-time statistics are seen on the screen at right, on the final day of the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 10, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prototype racket is equipped with vibration and motion sensors which collect information about the player’s swing speed, ball speed and spin rate and relay it to a smartphone or tablet. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Pedersen is confident that SportAI can continue to roll out into other sports as the technology can adapt to other dynamics, like a golf swing. Ultimately, people like their own highlights and organisations will be open to the march of technology when it has such an open field. “More companies are going to lean in to this technology and data can be a positive reinforcement for recreational players too. It’s not just about ‘don’t do this’.”
The information sets have multiple possibilities for broadcasters. Rather than just relying on the subjective analysis of a commentator, SportAI could educate viewers on the finite detail of how a player has developed or changed strokes over a timeline with rigorous data to back it up. Pedersen visited the U.S. Open last year to showcase ideas to interested parties and investors. They secured a $1.8 million round of investment last year led by Skyfall Ventures.
As the partnerships continue to grow, the tennis tech will always be at the epicenter of those marginal or major gains, even if they are at the casual rather than Olympic level.