From controversy to contract: Wearable technology wins again as Oura becomes official partner of US Open
After Alcaraz, Sabalenka and Sinner were told they couldn't wear WHOOPs at the Australian Open, New York's Grand Slam is going all-in on Oura.
At the start of the year, wearable technology was thrust into the spotlight when the Australian Open insisted players couldn't wear smart watches and similar gear that tracks their personal biometric performance data during matches.
The next hard-court major has no such plans. In fact, it'll be equipping the players with such technology.
This week, the US Open announced that Oura was joining its robust roster of official sponsors, putting the American Grand Slam tournament on par with other major U.S. sports leagues including NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA and professional golf, all of which permit forms of wearable technology for their athletes.
Read more: Novak Djokovic backs wearable recovery tech with new Incrediwear collaboration
Every main-draw player at the US Open will receive an Oura Ring, and recovery education will be built into player areas. The brand will receive on-court signage in both Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, plus broadcast messaging and on-site activations.
It will also have a role in the US Open’s future Player Performance Center, including naming rights to a wellness and recovery space, when it opens next year as a part of an $800 million overhaul of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the tournament grounds.
Tom Hale, chief executive officer at Oura, said in a statement that the partnership, which also extends to the USTA's coaching certification platform and league play, is a "natural fit for the brand," because "it brings our belief that health should be a daily practice to one of the biggest stages in sport, while helping millions of fans around the world see the connection between how they recover and how they perform."
The deal followed news that Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open would allow players to wear trackers on a trial basis, reported by The Athletic late last month. The alignment followed controversy in Melbourne, when Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were all asked to remove their WHOOP bands—a bracelet that tracks health metrics—before matches, despite the fact that they were approved by the International Tennis Federation in December, because the four Grand Slam events had yet to approve them for their specific tournaments.
The technology has been previously permitted by the ATP and WTA tours for years. In 2019, NextGen ATP Finals players were first permitted to wear such devices on court, and in 2021, the WTA signed a mult-year brand deal with WHOOP.