ATP and Infosys have unlocked a new phase in tennis’ sustainability journey with the launch of Carbon Tracker, a first-of-its-kind app enabling players to track and mitigate travel emissions on Tour.

With hundreds of professional players travelling to more than 250 events in 50 countries across the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour each season, travel represents a significant part of players’ overall carbon emissions. Addressing this impact has become the top sustainability priority under ATP Serves, in line with ATP’s commitment to UN Sports for Climate Action.

“This initiative means a lot for tennis because tennis is luckily one of the biggest [and] one of the most popular sports in the world. But in the same way, also probably one of the sports with the most traveling, with the most flown miles,” Dominic Thiem said. “So it’s super important for tennis to step up and take the first steps towards a better future.”

Developed in collaboration with Infosys, Digital Innovation partner of the ATP Tour, Carbon Tracker is a first-of-its kind app in professional sports. It enables players to track their travel to tournaments across the season, understand their emissions profile, make more conscious travel decisions, and mitigate their impact by purchasing verified carbon credits through Gold Standard, a leading sustainable development standard and climate action partner of the ATP.

The Carbon Tracker app’s long-term ambition is to inspire greener travel on Tour. It features a dashboard that presents players with a holistic view of their emissions across multiple seasons – enabling deeper understanding and analysis of travel choices. This is supplemented with resources and quizzes to educate players on sustainable practices and environmental advocacy.

Thiem, Cameron Norrie, Andrey Rublev and Emil Ruusuvuori have kicked off proceedings by pledging to track and mitigate 100 per cent of their tournament travel emissions in 2023.

Rublev said: “As a tennis player, I have to travel a lot, especially there are a lot of flights per year [over a] long distance, different continents. So the Carbon Tracker app is a perfect first step.”

There are more than 2,900 Gold Standard-certified projects in more than 100 countries around the world. Those projects include supporting the planting of biodiverse forests in Panama to improving cookstoves in Peru and Uganda.

Over time, the certified projects have produced more than $36 billion in value supporting climate action and sustainability progress.

“I’ve heard a lot of good stuff about Gold Standard,” Ruusuvuori said. “They have great projects all around the world, like India, Peru, Ethiopia. And I’m really looking forward to exploring all the possible ways to help.” 

The Finnish star added: “Ninety per cent of tennis’ emissions come from traveling, so we know what the problem is. But even though the problem is big, and it’s going to take a lot to make a difference, we know that we can. So that’s why we started this thing.”

Thiem explained why he feels a responsibility as an athlete to not only support the cause, but motivate his colleagues to do the same.

“It’s super important that athletes, especially from a big global popular sport like tennis, speak up because they have a big fanbase,” Thiem said. “They can inspire a lot of people and in this way they can have quite a big part of helping to save the planet.”

Rublev expanded on why he feels the same way: “It’s important to use this platform in the right way to move in the same direction. If you can use your platform and you try to do something with climate and some people listen to you, and they also start to see this way, maybe their friends [will] also listen to them.

“There are many people who are doing good things and they don’t have a voice and they’re doing so many good things. And athletes, they have this power so, for them, it’s much easier to do those things. And that’s why they have to do it.”

Although travel is an unavoidable part of professional tennis, Norrie said he feels a responsibility to take action and show climate leadership.

“This is something close to my heart and it’s been incredible to see this movement gain momentum in tennis,” Norrie said. “Carbon Tracker is a great first step to onboard more players, mitigate our impact, and keep this important conversation top of mind. I’m excited to see where this leads.”

The Top 3 players on the in-app Carbon Tracker leaderboard at the end of the 2023 season will be eligible to win a $100,000 prize pool. This will be distributed in the form of donations to environmental sustainability charities of players’ choice.

Carbon Tracker will be accessible exclusively through PlayerZone, the existing player website and mobile app launched by Infosys and ATP in 2016.

ATP CEO Massimo Calvelli said: “Tennis is on a mission to Net Zero and like many sports, our travel footprint is our biggest challenge. ATP’s new Carbon Tracker makes it simple for players to join that journey, mitigating their impact today and inspiring greener choices tomorrow. This is a story of addressing difficult problems through innovation, and we would thank our partners Infosys for their collaboration and commitment to the project. The potential of this app is massive and we’re just getting started.”

Infosys Chief Marketing Officer Sumit Virmani said, “The synergy between Infosys and ATP has resulted in a very action-oriented innovation which sensitizes the need for energy transition in sports. In recent times, we have witnessed a multitude of digital sustainability platforms that are enabling organizations pave their way to net zero emissions. Together with ATP, we will strive to make tennis carbon conscious as a sport. As we drive towards a hyperconnected economy, it is imperative for us to focus on dynamically driving carbon consciousness in an innovative, sustainable, and efficient manner.”

Margaret Kim, Gold Standard CEO Margaret Kim said: “It is inspiring to see tennis leading the way towards a more sustainable sporting culture. Encouraging players to purchase Gold Standard-certified credits means they will be directly funding climate change projects that not only reduce carbon emissions, but also create many other sustainable development benefits for communities that need it most. We are excited to have ATP as a Gold Standard climate action supporter and look forward to collaborating further along the journey towards net zero.”

Netflix is set to release Part 2 of Break Point‘s first season on 21 June.

Before the next five episodes come out, ATPTour.com looks back at the first five episodes of the hit tennis docuseries.

Episode 1: The Maverick
The focus of the show’s first episode was Nick Kyrgios and his journey at the 2022 Australian Open. Break Point peeled back the onion that is Kyrgios, examining everything from his “bad boy” reputation to his soft side off the court.

A turning point in his career was Wimbledon in 2014, when he stunned Rafael Nadal. As the episode detailed, everything changed from that moment on. Swarms of fans awaited his return in Canberra and he has not departed the spotlight since. Kyrgios enjoyed the most memorable moment of his career last year in Melbourne, where he partnered close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis — portrayed as the Robin to his Batman — to the Australian Open doubles title.

Episode 2: Take the Crown
It all started with a messy hotel room. One of the biggest takeaways from this episode was that the stars are just like us — they are very human. Cameras were allowed inside Matteo Berrettini and Ajla Tomljanovic’s Melbourne messy hotel room, where they discussed not tennis, but which television series to watch.

Nick Kyrgios said Rafael Nadal is “like a god”, as the narrative was built around the game’s rising stars, including the likes of Berrettini, trying to break through. There was also a focus on Tomljanovic, who has been mentored by Chris Evert. The WTA legend said of the Australian: “You’re too nice. You’ve got to be a little bi***y out there sometimes. You’ve got to be mean.”

Episode 3: California Dreaming
Netflix cameras took “behind the scenes” to the next level when they followed Taylor Fritz during the biggest moment of his life. The American suffered an ankle injury ahead of the 2022 Indian Wells final and footage showed his team, including Michael Russell and Paul Annacone, trying to convince him to withdraw before facing Nadal.

Instead, Fritz received an injection and took the court to give it a shot. Ultimately, he claimed his first ATP Masters 1000 title.

Maria Sakkari also featured in the episode. The Greek revealed that she once told her coaches she wanted to retire and actually did so for four days. If you need any coffee tips, the Greek would be a good source — she was up to her sixth espresso of that particular day and counting.

Episode 4: Great Expectations
The focus was on WTA stars Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur in Episode 4. Badosa was quite open about the mental side of tennis, explaining that “this sport is a drug”. There are high highs and difficult lows, and she added how tough it is to shut out negativity in the latter moments. The Spaniard revealed that she sought professional help for depression.

Fans were also introduced to Jabeur and her Tunisian team, including husband Karim Kamoun, who is her fitness trainer. Not only have they found a happy balance between their off-court and professional relationship, but Jabeur was emerging into the mainstream on and off the court.

Episode 5: King Of Clay
Would anyone be able to take down Rafael Nadal on the clay of Roland Garros in 2022? The fifth episode followed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud in their attempts to do just that. Both men made an attempt and both failed in Paris, but there was plenty revealed about each.

There was a potentially tricky situation that was played up in the media at the time — Auger-Aliassime is coached by Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle. Uncle Toni made clear he wanted his nephew to win the match and left the stadium during their clash, the subject of controversy at the time. But Auger-Aliassime made clear none of it bothered him one bit.

Ruud reached his first major final last year at Roland Garros. He looked up to Nadal and has trained at his eponymous academy. But despite his loss, the Norwegian has developed into a force himself and has earned the respect of the tennis world. Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick said, “He’s not the person who brings attention to himself. He’s not a self-promoter.”

Hubert Hurkacz begins his Terra Wortmann Open title defence Tuesday against Christopher Eubanks in Halle. The World No. 17 will have some extra voices of support from the stands as he seeks a fast start at the grass-court ATP 500.

The Pole invited the seven winners from the inaugural Hubi Cup, an Under 12s tournament that he founded in his homeland, to Germany as his special guests at the OWL ARENA. Hurkacz was looking forward to showing his best form in front of some of the highest-ranked juniors in Poland.

“I think that’s going to be really cool [to have them at my match] and I hope the kids will enjoy it,” Hurkacz told ATPTour.com. “I think they definitely have a bright future ahead of them and I think seeing the players can also help them see things more clearly for themselves and see the path. I hope they will really enjoy this event.”

Hubert Hurkacz and Hubi Cup Winners” />
^{_{Hubert Hurkacz greets the talented juniors at the tournament hotel in Halle on Monday afternoon. Photo: Andy West/ATP Tour.}}

The inaugural Hubi Cup took place from 1-4 June in Wroclaw, Hurkacz’s hometown. Although the 26-year-old’s ATP Tour commitments prevented him from attending the event, he was impressed with some of the video footage he saw.

“They look good and obviously the kids are playing some great tennis and competing well,” said the six-time ATP Tour titlist. “It’s always fun to see because I was the same. I came from Poland, playing the same [sort of] events.

“It’s really a great sport to bring the kids together and enjoy tennis, to have a nice trip and see some professional players competing. I hope the kids enjoy that and have fun out there.”

Hurkacz defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime, Nick Kyrgios and Daniil Medvedev en route to the crown a year ago in Halle, where he this week competes as the sixth seed.

Daniil Medvedev got back on track Monday in Halle, where he defeated Marcos Giron 6-4, 6-3 to reach the second round of the Terra Wortmann Open.

The top seed suffered an opening-round exit last week in Stuttgart, but was never in danger in his first match inside Owl Arena. Medvedev saved all three break points he faced to triumph after 71 minutes.

“It was a really tough match. It was definitely not the best match of my life,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “I was still lacking the rhythm a little bit. But [regardless of] that, he played very well.”

The 27-year-old showed no fear of coming forward and won several fun exchanges with the American. He will next play Serbian Laslo Djere, who eliminated home favourite Oscar Otte 7-6(3), 6-3.

“I’m happy to win because sometimes grass is like this. You need to break one time in a set and serve well, and the match is yours,” Medvedev said. “And that’s what I managed to do… I think I had only three games where I had chances on his serve. I managed to take two of them, amazing, and I saved all of the tough moments I had on my serve.”

One year ago, Medvedev advanced to the final in Halle, where he won all eight sets he played en route to the championship match. Once there, he fell to Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets.

Medvedev has enjoyed success on grass before, having lifted an ATP 250 trophy two years ago in Mallorca. The World No. 3 owns a 65.4 winning percentage on the surface (34-18).

Did You Know?
According to Infosys ATP Stats, Medvedev on Monday became the first player to reach 40 tour-level wins in 2023. He is now 40-7 on the season and five wins clear of Carlos Alcaraz (35-4), who is second on the list.

Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame a ferocious challenge from Gregoire Barrere to kick-start his Terra Wortmann Open campign on Monday. The second seed edged his French opponent 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) in Halle.

Tsitsipas trailed by a set and a break at 6-7(6), 1-3, but wore Barrere down for a two-hour, 22-minute victory. The Greek was the more consistent player in the second half of the match, particularly during the deciding-set tie-break, as he booked a second-round clash against Nicolas Jarry at the grass-court ATP 500.

“I just tried smiling. It kind of worked,” said Tsitsipas, when asked about how he kept his cool when trailing in the second set. “At that point you think, ‘I’ve been giving 100 per cent’. I was trying to think, ‘What can I do better?’

“I wasn’t too consistent with my returns. He had a few second serves where I tried to do much. I just thought I could have done much better in that department and psychologically I think it helped my opponent [settle].”

🤳 A message from the man of the moment!

⭐️ @steftsitsipas ⭐️ @ATPHalle | #TerraWortmannOpen pic.twitter.com/ue56sFnHyG

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 19, 2023

His victory against the World No. 58 was a gutsy response from Tsitsipas after he began his grass-court season with defeat to Richard Gasquet in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last week. The Greek deployed serve-and-volley tactics effectively to forge his comeback inside OWL ARENA, where he won 76 per cent (28/37) of points when he came to the net.

“I feel so in my natural habitat when I’m in front of the net,” said Tsitsipas. “Serve and volleying, I don’t get to do that very often and I feel like grass allows me to do that a bit more… My serve proved to be a massive weapon today in regards of giving me that first volley I was looking for and making my life a bit easier at the net.”

The World No. 5 Tsitsipas is now 32-10 for the 2023 season. The 24-year-old, who reached the championship match at January’s Australian Open and in Barcelona in April, is chasing his first title of the year. The Greek reached the second round in Halle on his two previous appearances, in 2018 and 2022.