Recharge Mode: How tech is transforming recovery in tennis

Tennis is in the middle of a tech revolution. In this two-part series, we take a closer look at how data and innovation are changing the game—beginning with how players recover.

Elite tennis doesn’t end at match point anymore.

The modern recovery process begins the moment a player steps off court—sometimes even before the final handshake. In a sport defined by grueling schedules, late-night finishes, and razor-thin margins, what happens between matches is increasingly shaping what happens during them.

Just ask Aryna Sabalenka.

The most telling stat from Sabalenka’s Sunshine Double run—winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back—wasn’t a serve speed or winner count. It was her recovery.

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Using WHOOP, a screenless wearable fitness tracker, Sabalenka logged consistently high recovery scores throughout the Miami Open. WHOOP CEO Will Ahmed later shared that nearly all of her daily scores fell in the “green,” indicating optimal readiness—except for one: the day of her semifinal win over Elena Rybakina.

“This is very hard to do given the strain of the matches and the pressure of the finals. Impressive,” Ahmed wrote.

WHOOP’s recovery score, calculated each morning using heart rate variability, resting heart rate, sleep quality, and respiratory rate, is designed to measure how prepared the body is to take on strain. In Sabalenka’s case, it told a clear story: elite performance wasn’t just about how hard she pushed, but how well she recovered.

For decades, recovery in tennis meant ice baths, massages, and rest. Those tools still matter—but the modern game has expanded the definition. Now it includes continuous biometric tracking, sleep optimization systems, and personalized data streams designed to quantify how the body responds to stress.

No player has embodied that shift more than Novak Djokovic.

Long before wearable tech became mainstream, Djokovic was investing in recovery innovation. As early as 2010, he incorporated the CVAC Pod—a hyperbaric chamber designed to simulate high altitude conditions to improve oxygen efficiency and circulation—into his routine. More recently, he has used the Regensis system, which combines light, sound, scent, and vibration to guide the body out of stress.

He has also entered the wearable space directly, partnering with Incrediwear on a line of therapeutic sleeves designed to promote circulation and recovery through infrared technology.

The details matter—and younger players are paying attention.

“Just observing him is really special, not as a fan but seeing him in his element,” said American rising star Iva Jovic. “He does a lot of things off the court and off the cameras that I think a lot of players don’t even think about. Those things add up.”

Still, not every player has access to Djokovic-level resources. Instead, many are finding their own ways to optimize recovery using more portable—and increasingly sophisticated—technology.

For Taylor Fritz, sleep is the foundation.

The top American men’s player travels with a high-tech sleep system from Eight Sleep, a mattress cover embedded with biometric sensors that tracks and actively improves sleep by adjusting temperature throughout the night. It can wake users with gentle thermal shifts instead of traditional alarms, and even lift the mattress when it detects snoring.

“It makes a huge difference for me when I have it,” Fritz said. “It’s great to see all the data. I feel like I sleep a lot better.”

The downside? It’s not exactly travel-friendly.

“It’s not easy to bring,” he added. “If it’s a big tournament, like a Grand Slam week or something, then we’ll have one ready where I’m going. This week (in Miami), obviously it’s just at home. Otherwise, sometimes I just don’t have it.”

That gap—between what’s possible andwhat’s practical—defines the current state of recovery tech in tennis. While top players can build customized systems around their routines, others rely on more accessible tools like wearables and match data to guide their decisions.

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Governing bodies are slowly adapting. The WTA partnered with WHOOP in 2021, while the ATP followed in 2024 by approving wearables for use across its tours.

But tennis still lags behind other major sports in fully integrating performance technology—and inconsistencies remain.

That became clear at the 2026 Australian Open, when players were asked to remove WHOOP devices midway through the tournament despite their approval at tour-level events. Because Grand Slams operate under separate regulations, top-ranked athletes like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Sabalenka were forced to comply, sparking confusion and criticism.

“There is certain data we would like to track a little bit on court,” Sinner said afterward. “It’s not for the live thing. It’s more about what you can see after the match.”

Monica Puig, Puerto Rico’s 2016 Olympic gold medalist and a Tennis Channel analyst, was among those who found the situation puzzling.

“It’s not like the player is looking at that information when they’re playing,” Puig said. “It’s not like your coach is going to be saying, Oh my gosh your heart rate is X! You need to get it down to Y!

“It’s more so just information that they can take to better themselves for the upcoming days.”

Puig, who retired in 2022 before wearables were widely permitted in matches, believes access to data can be valuable—if used correctly.

“I would wear the strap, but I wouldn’t take the information for myself,” she said. “My fitness trainer was the one who had the app on his phone.”

Too much data, she noted, can become overwhelming. In some cases, it can even create more anxiety and stress if players become overly focused on metrics instead of feel.

Still, early research suggests the benefits are real. A 2025 study of 100 professional tennis players using wearable devices found improvements in stress management, cardiovascular fitness, and recovery efficiency. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Because even in a data-driven era, recovery remains deeply individual.

For 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, one of the biggest breakthroughs has been nutrition.

“Of course, you need the ice bath and stretching and massages,” she said. “But there’s so much you can do off court, even at the hotel, that can make a big difference.”

For 2025 AO champion Madison Keys, it’s about balance.

“I’m hyper-mobile, so I’m constantly searching for more stability,” she said. “It’s hard. You want to be flexible and limber, but you also need to be strong and stable. As I’ve gotten older, finding that balance become more important.”

Technology can guide those decisions—but it doesn’t replace them.

Looking ahead, the possibilities are expanding quickly. Predictive recovery models could soon help players anticipate fatigue before it sets in. AI-driven systems may generate personalized protocols in real time. And as costs come down, more players across the rankings could gain access to tools once reserved for the elite.

For fans, the evolution could bring a new layer of insight to the TV-viewing experience—offering a window into the physical demands behind each match, from heart rate spikes under pressure to the toll of marathon rallies.

But even as the data gets sharper, the fundamentals remain unchanged.

Technology may be redefining recovery in tennis, but it hasn’t replaced the human element. The best players aren’t just the ones with the most data—they’re the ones who know how to use it, and when to trust themselves instead.

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