After tennis stars at the Australian Open were asked to remove banned wearables like Whoop, the French Open will now allow them on “a trial basis”—the first time they will be permitted at a Grand Slam.
The trial will extend to Wimbledon and the US Open, spokespeople for those tournaments confirmed to Front Office Sports.
“We want to provide the players with the best possible experience and we listen to their requests,” said French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo at a press conference Thursday. “Once again, the aim is to improve players’ performance.”
At the 2026 Australian Open, stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka were told to take off their Whoop bands ahead of their respective matches. Whoop bands are wearable devices that can track personal fitness and recovery data like heart rate and sleep.
Sabalenka, the WTA No. 1 who has an endorsement deal with the company, criticized the decision during the Australian Open. Sinner also said then that an alternative wearable vest permitted for player use was “uncomfortable,” and that he’d like to use his own device data like “heart rate, how much calories you burn, all these kind of things.”
“I don’t understand why Grand Slams are not allowing us to wear it, and I really hope that they will reconsider the decision and let their players track their health,” Sabalenka said in an Australian Open press conference.
Whoop said its Australian Open ban was “like asking athletes to play blind” and “does not protect sport.”
Wearables are approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and allowed in other ATP and WTA tour events, but the Grand Slams operate under separate rules. The ATP started permitting wearables in July 2024, and Whoop is a WTA sponsor.
Tennis Australia, organizers of the Australian Open, said in January that the tournament was “in ongoing discussions” to allow wearables in the future.
“The decision by the French Tennis Federation (FFT) to allow wearables at this year’s French Open is an important milestone,” Whoop said in a statement to Front Office Sports. “Data is not steroids. Access to accurate, non-invasive insights does not undermine competition. It strengthens the sport and supports players.”
Two-time Masters champion Rory McIlroy is an investor in the company. After McIlroy won his second Masters on Sunday, the wearable brand posted a graphic that noted his heart rate during his first putt and his major-clinching celebration.
The main draw of the French Open begins May 26.
