WHOOP tracker banned from tennis players’ wrists? The company ships athletes compatible underwear

At the center of recent headlines, right during the Australian Open, WHOOP, a fitness tracker that clearly stands out from its competitors for its minimalist philosophy.

Without a display and focused exclusively on data collection related to effort, recovery and long-term performance, this tool has become an ally for many elite athletes.

However, its discreet presence under the athletes’ wristbands has sparked an unexpected controversy, prompting the company to respond with something as provocative as it is ingenious.

Trouble for WHOOP at the Australian Open, the company’s curious response

The diplomatic incident occurred when the referees of the prestigious Australian tournament asked several top players, including world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and the champion Aryna Sabalenka, to remove their WHOOP devices, even though these were hidden under sweatbands.

The decision took the scene by surprise, considering that the use of such trackers has been generally tolerated, if not explicitly allowed, in previous ATP and WTA tournaments.

The situation appears paradoxical when considering the position of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). As noted by Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP, the ITF approved the use in competition of several versions of the device (from 3.0 to MG), with the only clause to deactivate the haptic feedback.

This approval was confirmed recently, in December 2025, establishing that the device does not pose safety risks. However, Grand Slam tournaments, while part of the ITF, maintain a degree of operational independence that allows them to set specific rules, creating thus a regulatory gray zone that has led to the current ban.

The provocative response: from the wrist to the underwear

Facing the impossibility for athletes to wear the tracker on the wrist, the WHOOP marketing team’s response was swift and decidedly non-conventional.

Will Ahmed publicly revealed that he sent to all the tennis players competing in Melbourne the WHOOP Body collection. It is a line of technical apparel and underwear designed with dedicated compartments to insert the sensor, allowing monitoring of vital parameters from body sites other than the wrist, such as the hip or the lower back.

This move, although genius from a media standpoint, raises doubts about its actual on-field viability as a legal workaround.

The “WHOOP Body collection” is not a standalone device, but a support for the tracker itself. If the tournament regulations prohibit the object itself, hiding it inside underwear does not automatically legitimize its use.

Conversely, athletes who might try this path would risk disciplinary sanctions if discovered wearing an unauthorized device, regardless of its anatomical placement.