Menu
How are TennisViz Insights produced?
What is it? In Attack shows the percentage of shots played in attack by both players.
Why do we like it? Understanding who is attacking or defending in most sports is easy; it is often based on who has possession of the ball and how close they are to the opponent’s goal, basket, or end zone. Identifying which player is in control of the point in tennis is more difficult, particularly when the player who is in attack can change multiple times within the same point. Having an objective measure of attack and defence in tennis has not existed prior to the TennisViz Insights; previously, fans relied on the commentator’s feel or drew conclusions from other metrics (e.g. the number of winners a player has hit).
What is it? The Conversion Score calculates how often a player has won a point when attacking.
Why do we like it? Other sports have identified the need to create a metric which shows how clinical a player or team is when attacking (e.g. xG in soccer). The Conversion Score shows how efficient a player is when they are in attack. Unlike traditional tennis statistics, Insights can be compared to the ATP tour average (or with the player’s own average) to show fans if the player is performing above or below the expected average.
What is it? Steal Score calculates how often a player has won the point when defending.
The average ATP player will be in defence for 23% of their shots. Given that this is a very significant part of the match, tennis needed a metric which objectively measures a player’s ability in defence. The Steal Score highlights the players with the best defensive skills and provides interesting stories like which players can win matches with lower In attack scores. For example, a player with a Counter Puncher playing style can be very successful with a lower In Attack score (meaning they attack less), as they trust their ability to win an above-average percentage of points when defending.
What is it? Shot Quality measures the quality of the player’s serve, return, forehand and backhand on a 0-10 scale. They are calculated in real time by analysing each shot’s speed, spin, depth, width, and the impact the shot has on the opponent.
Why do we like it? Before TennisViz insights, tennis did not have an objective measure which identified the quality of the core shots in tennis (serve, return, forehand and backhand). The status quo was to draw conclusions from the number of winners and unforced errors resulting from that shot. This was an imperfect solution given that this only considers the last shot of every point and places no value on the previous shots, which often significantly contribute to creating the opportunity for the winner or the pressure leading to an error. Shot Quality considers every shot played in the match and is rooted in how much each shot increases the probability of the player winning the point.
Tennis players often refer to how well (or poorly) they executed a shot. Shot Quality is the metric which will bring these stories to life pre, during and post-match.
What is it? The serve effectiveness shows the % of points where the server creates an advantage for the player. To calculate this, we aggregate aces, serve winners, unreturned serves and points when the player is in attack on Serve + 1.
Why do we like it? The serve effectiveness Insight answers the common questions, how much advantage do big servers have? And why is first serve % so often talked about?
Like all Insights, a player’s match data can be compared to their season average and the ATP tour average to better understand how much of a strength (or weakness) a player’s serve is.
What is it? Battles show the situation the player was in when the point finished and the percentage of points they won in this situation. The three battles are:
Why do we like it? Battles are the Insight which answers “where” on the court the player gained or lost an advantage in the match. By calculating how often the player was in each situation and the percentage of points won in each situation, we can identify where the match was won and lost.
What is it? The Performance Rating combines the In Attack, Conversion, Steal and Shot Quality data to create a metric showing their overall performance level.
Why do we like it? Tennis is a complex, chaotic sport played by individuals with different playing styles with an array of strengths and weaknesses. There is no set way to win or be successful. Some players may have a signature strength which allows them to create high In Attack scores (e.g. a big server). Other players will rely on their movement and defensive skills to generate higher-than-average steal scores (compensating for lower In Attack scores).
The performance rating combines all Insights data to objectively measure a player’s performance, understanding that there are many different ways to be successful in tennis.
In an example where the top seed is in a close match or being beaten by a lower-ranked player, the performance rating will tell fans whether the top seed is under-performing or the lower ranked is over-performing.
What is it? The Performance Tracker shows how a player’s performance fluctuates over the course of a match.
Why do we like it? A player’s level of performance is not fixed, it will fluctuate during the match. The Performance Tracker shows when these ups and downs occur and how a player’s performance compares to their average level.
What is it? Analysing individual players’ playing style profiles to identify which of the following categories best describes their playing style.
Why do we like it? One of the most interesting aspects of tennis is the variety of shapes, sizes, and skill sets that exist among the best players. Our sport challenges players to find the best tactical solution which maximises their physical, technical and mental strengths while minimising any weaknesses.
Tennis is a sport which matches two players against one another (in singles). Therefore, their playing styles are the vital context in which the match is played. In boxing, it has been said that ‘styles make flights’, and the playing style labels create these interesting stories in tennis.
What is it? Winning and Losing Plays highlight the tactics and patterns of play, which are winning/losing the match for both players.
Why do we like it? Tennis is a chaotic sport, played at high speed with a large volume of shots; it is impossible for a human to capture everything happening accurately. Players use and favour certain combinations of shots (tactics and patterns of play). Winning Plays identify and aggregate the most significant patterns of play for each point. The most significant shot is deemed to be the one which moves the opponent into defence and therefore creates the winning situation for the player. For this reason, Winning Plays are a more sophisticated tool than the winner’s statistic because they identify the most significant pattern, understanding that this is not always the last shot of the point. Identifying players’ tactics and patterns of play brings a new dimension to tennis analysis.
Coming next for TennisViz Insights…
What is it? Identifying which player is winning the most important points.
What is it? Giving every match a 5-star review in real-time to identify where the most entertaining and exciting matches are happening.
What is it? Lifting the lid on the physical battle by providing the number of sprints, changes of direction and total distance covered for both players.
What is it?
xP (Expected Point)
Showing the player’s probability of winning on each shot of the point.
xG (Expected Game)
Showing how often the player would hold or break based on their level in the previous game.
xS (Expected Set)
Showing how often a player would win the set based on their current Performance Rating.
xM (Expected Match)
Showing how often a player would win a match based on their current Performance Rating.
CONTACT
If you want to learn more about TennisViz Insights, or the products and services we offer then please get in touch.