{
  "id": 6930006,
  "title": "IBM launched limb tracking at this year’s U.S. Open – and it’s scoring every tennis player’s serve for fans to see",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/ibm-launched-limb-tracking-at-this-years-u-s-open-and-its-scoring",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-12T13:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/09/12/ibm-launched-limb-tracking-at-this-years-u-s-open-and-its-scoring-every-tennis-players-serve-for-fans-to-see/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At this year's U.S. Open, IBM introduced a new feature in its app called \"serve quality\" in partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA). This feature tracks over 20 points on a tennis player's body using cameras, measuring knee, wrist, and elbow movements among other factors. The data is then processed by IBM's WatsonX to generate a score out of 100 for each serve. IBM's Technology Program Director of Sports & Entertainment Partnerships, Tyler Sidell, explained that 12 cameras are positioned around Arthur Ashe Stadium for the automatic line-calling system using Hawk-Eye technology. Limb tracking began at the 2024 Laver Cup tennis event using Hawk-Eye's \"SkeleTRACK\" product, though it was not initially an app for fans to see serve scores. The data comes from cameras capturing the limbs and joints of every singles player, with IBM training models on 2025 data to create the right algorithm for the feature. The USTA's Senior Director of Digital Strategy, Brian Ryerson, said this is the first year the feature is being rolled out for fans, as it's a new and rich data set. IBM anticipates analyzing 1.2 billion joints during this year's tournament and generating 7 million serve quality insights. The serve quality score is determined by two factors: ensuring it resonates with fans and making it as accurate as possible. The feature started with serves due to their significance in a tennis match, but there is potential for future tracking of other shots like forehands and backhands. IBM and the USTA hope this feature will enhance storytelling and provide unique insights for tennis fans.",
  "summary": "This marks the first time IBM has launched a limb-tracking feature at a Grand Slam tennis tournament.",
  "key_points": [
    "IBM launched limb tracking at this year's U.S. Open tennis tournament.",
    "Serve quality score is generated for every player's serve using WatsonX.",
    "Feature aims to enhance storytelling and provide unique insights for fans."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}