Infosys brings latest kit-bag of tech tricks to Australian Open
The digital partnership between Tennis Australia and multinational tech consulting and services firm Infosys is now into its fifth year, with the Australian Open continuing to serve up fresh innovations.
It might not attract the same attention and fanfare as a Nick Kyrgios ‘tweener, but global tech consultancy Infosys has been rocking up to Melbourne Park year after year in recent times with its own kit-bag of fancy new tricks.
A technology partner of Tennis Australia since 2018, Infosys has once again brought a range of fresh innovations to this year’s Australian Open for fans and players alike – some which may already be having an on-court impact.
Most notably, Infosys has this year upgraded its ‘Player’s Portal’ to provide players and coaches with new AI-generated game and competitor insights, intended to serve as an aid for post-match reviews and preparation – including a ‘Get into the Zone’ feature which shows montages of a player’s previous winning performances to get them hyped up before their match.
An ‘opponent tendency’ feature also allows players to easily analyse their fellow competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
Yet, previously banned, in-game coaching is now permissible at the Australia Open, with common vision of coaches and support staff staring at screens in the players' box, presumably tapping into the real-time Infosys data feed. And it already seems to have had some impact, when Jannik Sinner forced Stefanos Tsitsipas into a fifth set during their fourth round encounter after being two sets to love down, supposedly on the back of a slight positional readjustment directed from the box.
In addition, the firm has included a newly introduced real-time win predictor and enhanced a number of its existing Match Centre 2.0 fan engagement features available on the AO website and mobile app, which aim to provide an even more accessible and immersive experience through big data, AI, virtual reality and the cloud. Spectators in attendance have also been able to visit the Infosys Fan Zone and personally interact with these modern technologies via tennis-themed games.
“Working with Infosys over the past five years has enabled us to set new benchmarks in fan engagement using digital technologies,” said Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley. “This partnership has enabled us to deliver new innovative digital experiences year after year for everyone associated with the tournament. We remain committed to making the Australian Open a global standard for a digitally-enabled sport that is inspiring, engaging, inclusive and sustainable.”
The five-year strategic tennis partnership has also served the firm well, in part helping to boost Infosys into the top three brands by value among global IT services firm’s according to analytics consultancy Brand Finance, growing last year by 2% to a worth of $13 billion to sit behind just behemoths Accenture and Tata Consultancy Services.
“Our journey continues in 2023, through engaging fans in new digital experiences, engaging players through digital coaching and better preparing young leaders through digital learning tools,” said Infosys A/NZ head Andrew Groth.