Racket Sports Tech-February 2026

Table of Contents

• Ashley’s Tech Blog

  • Using AI in Racquet Sports Without Losing the Huma …

• New Ball Machines

• IBM + Wimbledon

  • IBM Announces Long-Term Renewal as the Official AI …

• putterman athletics

  • AcoustiPad™ Wins the  ASBA Game Changer Award

• FRONT OFFICE SPORTS

  • Wearables Like Whoop Banned at Tennis Grand Slams— …

• MRI Deep Data on LinkedIn

  • How Technology Advancements Are Fueling the Tennis …

Using AI in Racquet Sports Without Losing the Human Touch

AI is already showing up in racquet sports — often quietly, and usually behind the scenes. 

For clubs, the opportunity isn’t about replacing coaches, staff, or community. It’s about removing friction from the work that distracts you from them.

The clubs seeing real value from AI today are using it as an assistive layer: helping staff respond faster, communicate more clearly, and make better decisions with less effort.

1. Start With the Work You Repeat Every Week

AI is most useful where your team is already stretched thin.

Think about the tasks that happen constantly: writing emails, answering the same player questions, updating program descriptions, or following up with inactive members. These aren’t strategic decisions — they’re necessary work that eats time.

AI tools can help draft communications, summarize notes, or create first versions of content your team can refine. The goal isn’t automation for its own sake. It’s giving staff a head start so they spend more time engaging with players and less time staring at a blank screen.

If a message still needs a human tone, add it. AI should reduce effort, not remove judgment.

2. Use AI to Improve Responsiveness, Not Replace Service

Players expect fast, clear communication — especially around bookings, weather changes, and schedule updates. AI can help clubs respond more consistently without adding headcount.

This might look like:

• Faster responses to common questions

• Smarter routing of messages to the right staff member

• Cleaner summaries of player feedback or support requests

What matters is that players feel heard and informed. AI works best when it supports your service standards instead of becoming a barrier between staff and members.

3. Let Data Inform Decisions — Lightly

AI can help surface patterns that are hard to see day to day: which programs fill fastest, when players tend to drop off, or which communications actually get opened.

You don’t need predictive models or complex dashboards. Even simple insights — like identifying players who haven’t booked recently or programs that consistently convert — help clubs act earlier and more confidently.

Used this way, AI becomes a quiet assistant, not a black box.

4. Keep the Experience Human

Racquet sports are social by nature. Community, coaching, and connection are the product.

AI should never replace:

• On-court instruction

• Personal outreach

• Judgment calls about players or staff

The clubs that get this right use AI to clear the noise so humans can do what they do best: build relationships, create energy, and make players feel welcome.

5. Adopt Slowly, With Intention

You don’t need to “roll out AI.” Start with one use case that saves time or improves clarity. Test it. Adjust. Keep what works.

The future of racquet sports won’t be automated — it will be augmented. Clubs that use AI thoughtfully will feel more personal, not less, because their teams will have more time for the moments that matter.

Technology should support your community, not compete with it. Used well, AI simply helps you run a better club with less friction and more focus.

Want to see how the right club management platform helps you upgrade the experience without adding more effort?

👉 Learn more at CourtReserve.com

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The partnership will see new and enhanced digital experiences served up for fans of The Championships, Wimbledon, enabled by IBM-led transformation and powered by AI

IBM and The All England Lawn Tennis Club today announced a multi-year renewal of their long-standing, landmark technology partnership. From the launch of the Wimbledon website in 1995 and the mobile application in 2009, to the first integration of enhanced AI-powered solutions in 2017, IBM and the All England Club have collaborated for 36 years to deepen global fan engagement across Wimbledon's world-class digital platforms.

Read more

We are proud to announce that AcoustiPad™ Safety Padding has been named a winner of the American Sports Builders Association Game Changer Award, recognizing products that significantly advance safety, performance, and innovation in sports facility design and construction.

Why AcoustiPad™ Is a Game Changer

• Impact protection + sound absorption in one system

• Reduces echo by over 98%

• 2-inch high-density foam for enhanced safety

• Open-mesh fabric disperses sound, not reflects it

• Designed for indoor and covered sports facilities

AcoustiPad (Patent Pending) was developed to solve one of the biggest challenges in modern indoor and covered sports facilities: balancing athlete safety with sound control. 

Available in custom sizes and colors, AcoustiPad installs easily and integrates seamlessly into modern sports environments. It improves both the player experience and the facility environment by making spaces safer, quieter, and more comfortable without sacrificing aesthetics or performance.

Being recognized by ASBA confirms what we set out to do from the beginning: create a smarter solution that improves how facilities function, feel, and perform.

Athletes are allowed to wear the devices on the ATP and WTA tours, but three major stars were told to remove their Whoop bands in Melbourne.

Three of the biggest names in tennis are in a bizarre controversy in Australia surrounding a popular wearable device.

Carlos Alcaraz was asked to remove a Whoop band hidden under his right wristband ahead of his fourth-round Australian Open match Sunday against Tommy Paul. The Whoop is a wearable device that tracks fitness and recovery metrics like heart rate and calories burned. Read more.

The Tennis Racket Stringing Machine Market was valued at 7.09 billion in 2025 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.19% during 2026–2033, reaching an estimated 16.57 billion by 2033. This growth is driven by increasing demand from industrial, commercial, and technology-enabled applications, supported by ongoing innovation, expanding use cases, and rising investments across key end-use industries worldwide. Read more.