Sabalenka’s Analytics Company Acquired by Sports Tech Firm Orreco
A data analytics company used by World Number One Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur and the Japanese Tennis Federation has been acquired by a high-tech, futuristic firm that uses AI for everything from predicting injuries to nutrition science in sports.
Sabalenka has employed Melbourne-based Data Driven Sports Analytics (DDSA) since 2020 for scouting opponents, strategy, AI ball tracking and 3D analysis of both her game as well as that of her opponents. DDSA will now be bought by the larger sports tech firm Orreco, which has been backed by billionaire Mark Cuban.
To this point, Orreco has been known for its study on predicting injuries before they occur, blood analysis and use of AI for Olympic athletes, soccer players and NBA stars with recovery and optimization.
With the acquisition of DDSA, Orreco will now fold in the areas of strategy and tactics– as well as giving it entree into professional tennis.
Sabalenka says the new mega-company will transform how elite tennis players function both on the court– as well as dealing with the rigors of global touring.
“DDSA has been a huge part of how I analyze opponents, develop my game, and make better decisions on court,” Sabalenka said, adding that the merger with Orreco will “help athletes be ready to win. It’s an exciting step forward for high-performance tennis.”
Among DDSA’s more intriguing technologies that drew interest from Orreco is its LLM (large language model) similar to ChatGPT– but just for tennis strategy.
Founder Shane Liyanage started DDSA as a small company in 2016 but quickly added coders, tennis-specific coaches and AI experts.
“DDSA has always been my baby, and seeing it grow up and join Orreco feels like the next stage in its journey. Together we can unlock a new era in performance science, AI, and strategic analysis in tennis — bringing capabilities that neither of us could achieve alone,” he said.
Liyange will continue as Orreco’s head of its tennis AI division and serve on its executive team.
Orreco, founded by sports scientist Dr. Brian Moore and hematologist Dr. Andrew Hodgson, gained global attention in sports science circles when it presented a 2022 study that used AI modeling to predict hamstring injuries in elite male soccer players minutes before they occurred based on biomarkers and movement patterns.
Moore says he’s “delighted” by the deal to acquire DDSA and will combine its technology with existing science it uses in the fields physiology, training, nutrition.
Orreco was selected by NBCUniversal (parent company Comcast) for its highly competitive SportsTech accelerator program for startups this year.
Sabalenka’s coach Anton Dubrov says DDSA has been pivotal in helping the Belarusian with scouting and more. “The analytics covered everything: tennis tactics, movement and physical insights, and even factoring biological contexts,” he said.
