Andy Roddick raises concerns about ATP's decision to approve wearables, wonders if players will receive proper financial compensation for data

ATP's decision to approve in-competition wearables for players across the ATP Tour and Challenger level matches has not gone down well with Andy Roddick. The former World No. 1 has laid bare multiple concerns about the decision, which have to do with players' compensation and their autonomy.

On Thursday, June 27, it came to light that ATP gave its nod to players using wearables that will gather insights into their performances as they play. The insights would then be stored in the ATP Tennis IQ database.

However, as things stand in this point in time, there is no clarity as to whether players will be compensated for the data collected, or if they are free to use wearables beyond the ones produced by companies that the ATP has agreed deals with; STATSports and Catapult.

In light of this development, Roddick took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote about it briefly. The former World No. 1 opined that the ATP's decision has certain unaddressed "issues" before expressing his doubts via two significant questions on them.

"There are some issues here. Using a tour players data ……. Supposedly independent contractors, which the players will somehow be compensated right ? And since this is approved I’m assuming players can choose to use their own wearables and not just the one the tour has made a monetary deal w right?" Roddick asked.

Novak Djokovic-led PTPA's co-founder Vasek Pospisil has the same questions as Andy Roddick

Vasek Pospisil

Canadian former World No. 25 Vasek Pospisil also questioned the ATP's decision. Pospisil, who co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) alongside Novak Djokovic in 2019, raised pretty much the same doubts that Roddick did. Pospisil wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the decision comes across as a "red flag" to him.

"ATP-provided wearables are now permitted (at a cost to the player) but only if the ATP gets to collect, centralize, and essentially own our data. Don’t want to jump to conclusions but If that’s not a red flag I don’t know what is. Perhaps answers to these questions will be provided soon," Pospisil wrote.

Djokovic and Pospisil's PTPA represents the top 500 and top 200 players across the ATP and WTA Tours respectively. The organization, which stirred significant controversy when it was founded back in 2019, has made players' interests its priority, citing the lack of autonomy that players have to adjust to based on the decisions of the ATP, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and the Grand Slams.