- Sparked confusion after wearing the device in the opening three rounds
World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz was ordered to remove a banned fitness tracker before his Australian Open fourth-round match, sparking a rules debate ahead of his quarter-final against Alex de Minaur.
The incident unfolded during the warm-up on Rod Laver Arena ahead of Alcaraz’s straight-sets win over Tommy Paul.
Chair umpire Marija Cicak noticed a device concealed beneath Alcaraz’s wrist sweatband and instructed the Spaniard to remove it.
Alcaraz complied without protest, with the exchange later shown on the world feed.
The device was a Whoop band, a screenless wearable used by elite athletes to track recovery, exertion and sleep, while analysing heart rate and blood oxygen via synced devices.
Despite their widespread use, data-transmitting wearables are restricted at Grand Slams under ITF rules unless pre-approved, due to concerns over communication, coaching and betting integrity.
The umpire speaks to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz before his men’s singles match against USA’s Tommy Paul about a device he was wearing
Alcaraz smiles after the umpire told him to remove his Whoop band which has been banned from Grand Slams
The incident occured before Alcaraz’s quarter final showdown with Australian Alex de Minaur
Veteran commentator Mark Petchey explained the ruling on broadcast, telling viewers: ‘You’re not allowed to play with a Whoop watch here or anything that monitors your vitals or anything else.’
Confusion has followed because Whoop devices are permitted on the ATP and WTA Tours – and the company is an official WTA partner – creating a clash between tour regulations and Grand Slam enforcement.
Spanish reports also noted Alcaraz had worn the band in his first three rounds before it was flagged in the fourth.
Whoop founder Will Ahmed pushed back publicly, posting on X: ‘Whoop is approved by the International Tennis Federation for in-match wear and poses no safety risk. Let the athletes measure their bodies. Data is not steroids.’
On court, Alcaraz was unaffected. After being briefly broken early, he steadied to beat Paul 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 7-5, extending a flawless run in Melbourne where he has yet to drop a set.
The win set up a quarter-final showdown with de Minaur, who stormed into the last eight with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Alexander Bublik in just 92 minutes.
Following the match, de Minaur said he was satisfied with his level of play and focused on his next challenge.
So I’m super pleased with my level, I’m excited for the next one. That’s going to be a big one, right? I’m going to have to come out all guns blazing and I’m excited for a battle against Carlitos,’ he said.
The upcoming quarter-final will mark their first meeting in a Grand Slam setting.
De Minaur has yet to record a win over Alcaraz in their ATP Tour meetings, trailing 0-5 in head-to-head competition.
Extreme heat conditions forecast for Melbourne, with temperatures expected to trigger the tournament’s Heat Stress Policy, are likely to influence the scheduling and environment for the match, with the potential for an indoor session.
