#FlashBack50
Experience The Next: 50 Years Of Nitto Atp Finals
The Evolution To A Digital Sport With Atp Tour
Behind the 50th anniversary of the Nitto ATP Finals is a journey of constant reinvention. With the lights shining bright in London, a new sport takes the spotlight: one that is made with data, insights and digital experiences. As Digital Innovation Partner for the ATP Tour, Infosys brings you a courtside view of how the game has changed. Come experience the next.
Nitto Atp Finals 50 Years: The Technology Evolution
Over five decades, the ATP Tour has been committed to advancing the use of technology for a better sport. From computerized rankings to real-time match insights, from website engagement to app immersion, from broadcast to virtual reality, this is the journey to next.
1973
The ATP establishes a computer system to analyze player performance and create the ATP Rankings as an objective way to determine entries into tournaments.
1976
The ATP Doubles computer rankings are introduced.
1990
ATP became the first sport in the world to use small and portable computers to collect scoring data, eliminating the need for forms and scanners.
1991
ATP introduces the first television package for men's tennis broadcasts 19 tournaments to a worldwide audience.
1995
The ATP Tour launches its first ATP website, ATP Online.
2000
A network of portable computers that was used to update scoreboards in the mid-1990s and generate TV graphics then became the foundation for “live scoring” on the Internet.
2001
A newly launched website, ATPtennis.com, highlights the new tournament structure and helps fans follow the game with scores, news, galleries and videos.
2006
The player challenge, utilising video review for close line calls, debuts in Miami and is successfully implemented at 13 tournaments.
2015
The ATP launches its own social media network, MyATP.
2016
The Infosys ATP Stats Leaderboards is launched, a first-of-its-kind measure of player performance by Serve, Return and Under Pressure.
2016
Visitors to the Fan Zone at ATP Finals get immersed in a new dimension with a world-first VR viewing and stats experience.
2017
The new ATP PlayerZone app is unveiled to help players manage their ATP season and engage with their coaching staff in a secure environment.
2017
ATP and Infosys launch 'Second Screen', offering a new kind of analytical viewing experience with real-time insights into player performance.
2018
The Infosys ATP Fan Meter is used at the Nitto ATP Finals to measure crowd noise and engagement.
2019
ATP brings fans closer to the game with a new fan app designed by Infosys that includes personalised feeds featuring fans' favourite players and tournaments.
From Knowing The Champions To Knowing What They're Made Of
1970: Stan Smith. 2019: Stefanos Tsitsipas. Now, how about Stan Smith versus Stefanos Tstsipas? Infosys and ATP have created a data-driven web experience to statistically compare the champions of the Nitto ATP Finals over the past 50 tournament editions. We know the names, but now we get to know their games as well: with insights into what made them so great. Step into the time machine.
From Instant Replays to Instant Insight
In the television era of the 1980s and 90s, fans got to relive exciting match moments with replays. 2017 saw the emergence of a new way to watch tennis: the Infosys ATP Second Screen. Combining multiple data sources, the Second Screen overlays match statistics on a digital court, with insights served based on context. Like if the score is 40-15, you see all the historical trends with probable outcomes. Add in more live data like speed, spin, distance run, ball placement patterns, and you've got an advantage, made with foresight.
From The Best In Business to the Best of All Time
The ATP Rankings were introduced in 1973 and were the first way to stack up the best athletes in the world. Over the years, player statistics added another way to compare champions and contenders. In 2016, the Stats Leaderboards was created as a first-of-its-kind statistical measure of greatness by different areas of play: Serve, Return and Under Pressure. 30 years of data and millions of data points are filtered to provide statistical rankings not just by ATP season, or court types, but by different generations.
From Following The Game To Being One With It
The turn of the millennium ushered in greater fan access with the launch of a new ATP website in 2001. Live scores soon followed, with everything from stats to ticketing. In 2019, it all came together in the ATP Tour app, which brought fans closer to round-the-year tennis immersion. It's more than scores and feeds: it's insights and highlights, personalized by what the fans want to see. App on. Game on.
From an eye on court to an a.i. On court
The 1990s saw ATP storing an increasing amount of data. Trackers and statisticians would watch the action and input every statistic into computing devices. The data made way for big data in the 2010s. And with A.I. being added to the team, it became possible to spot player tendencies across the court. This resulted in the Serve and Return Tracker: a way to sense where the paths to victory are for each player, on each kind of surface, and even at each score.
From Reading the Headline to Reading Between Data
Opinions then, data now: the analysis of the game has evolved with number-crunching becoming a science. Powered by Infosys NIA, an AI platform, the ATP Tour website began a series called Beyond The Numbers in 2015. Featuring interesting discoveries regarding player performance, this is a new layer of delight in following the game. One of the latest features: 'Djokovic, Nadal & Federer Walk Into A Room. Only One Comes Out.' Find out who it is.
From Next On Tour To Victory On Tap
Being an athlete on tour isn't easy. Ever since the ATP Tour began, players had to compute the complex logistics of which tournament to play, how to get there, collaborating with the team, and a lot more. The demands of the tennis season have only increased, but managing life on tour is easier with the PlayerZone app. Whether it's scheduling or stats, it's all accessible in an intuitive experience for everyone on tour, from champion to contender.
From Watching the Game to Knowing What's Changing it
There was always excitement on tour, now there's enlightenment as well. Match viewing has been elevated to a new analytical digital experience that’s intuitive and immersive. Everyone can now feel the pulse of the game with MatchBeats, be courtside with 3D CourtVision, uncover endurance with Rally Analysis, and spot all the game-changers with Stroke Summary.
