Bridie Lynch has been playing and coaching tennis for most of her life. As her parents run a local tennis club in Wales, she was immersed in the sport from the age of 14. One aspect she has noticed is the embrace of technology, at all levels of tennis. "Tennis is such a technical sport. These days, anyone I play or coach is into tech, be it video analysis or longest rally stats."

A robot arm strikes a tennis ball, serving it at 220 miles per hour. From the opposing side of the court, another robot returns the serve and the two machines engage in a 427 stroke rally. An automated umpire decides, instantly, that the ball was out by a hair's breadth. This is the hypothetical, somewhat dystopian image conjured by Chris Brauer, director of innovation at the Institute of Management Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, at a recent panel discussion about the use of data analytics and technology in tennis. While steeped in tradition, tennis has embraced technology on multiple fronts: coaching, umpiring and fan experiences.

Big data is changing how tennis stars train and play; but the key to success is taking all that information and turning it into something players can use to win. Craig O'Shannessy, official strategy analyst for both the ATP Tour and all-time great Novak Djokovic, says that the smart use of data when preparing can have a significant impact on a match. O'Shannessy explains to ZDNet at the ATP Tour Finals in London how he uses a range of tools to give Djokovic that data-led advantage. These tools include the Infosys Tennis Platform, which is being used for the first time in 2019 across the ATP Tour, which is the worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men organised by the Association of Tennis Professionals. The platform includes a portal that gives players and coaches access to advanced analytics and match video.

Just watching was a feat of endurance. The 2019 men's final at Wimbledon lasted four hours and 57 minutes, making it the longest on record at the All England Club. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic seemed to be perfectly matched, until they weren't. In the end, Djokovic prevailed, and fans were left to debate what allowed the Serbian great to finally notch the win. They would probably be surprised to learn that some of Djokovic's advantage could have come from artificial intelligence, which he incorporated in his game for the first time during this year's Wimbledon.