New 3D tennis app advances match stats, trends

Tennis observers of all kinds—journalists, fans, and more—always want more from the statisticians that be about the nuances, trends, and so on associated with the sport, or with a particular match at hand. Enter this Gizmodo article, which reveals how an armada of ambitious techies at JWT Spain are taking the numbers and trajectories of a tennis match (or three to date, all on the ATP World Tour) to the next level. If it's 3D analysis you want, this could be your favorite app in the future: "There’s a heat map that shows where the most balls land; trajectories of the ball for every set, game and point; a particle view that shows where the balls have the most impact; and options to control the opacity of the court, the color of the ball trajectories for each player, and how fast the court rotates. It can be filtered by set, game, or point."

The research is admittedly in an early phase, but at the same time, it appears quite promising. The go-to shots in certain positions for individual players can thus be analyzed, and it could become quite the tool for those tennis federations, coaches, and pros who are able to afford and make use of it. The interface appears quite flexible, with options to consider match stats and trends at the level of a particular set, game, and point. A lot of features and factors go into the technology, as further shown in this Infosthetics.com article.  Here's the JWT Spain page for more information; the studio is working on this advancement catalyzed by ATP sponsor Corona Extra.

Any other stat nerds out there ogling this development with me? What do you want to see and learn from it about your favorite players? Sound off below.

Got a thought, a tip, or a point to make? Hit me on Twitter @jonscott9.