USTA and IBM Extend US Open Technology Partnership Through 2031

One of tennis’ longest-running technology partnerships isn’t going anywhere.

The USTA and IBM have extended their relationship for another five years, keeping IBM as the Official AI and Cloud Partner of the US Open through 2031.

The renewal follows a record-setting 2026 tournament in which IBM-powered digital platforms generated more than 270 million engagements across USOpen.org and the US Open app.

“For 35 years, IBM and the USTA have worked together to redefine how technology can bring fans closer to the game,” said Kameryn Stanhouse, Vice President, Sports and Entertainment Partnerships at IBM. “This renewal builds on that legacy, bringing IBM technology to the next generation of the US Open fan experience.”

Photo credit: IBM

The relationship has evolved considerably since IBM and the USTA began working together in the early 1990s. USOpen.org launched in 1995, followed by the tournament’s mobile app in 2009. Today, the partnership has become a showcase for how artificial intelligence and massive amounts of live tennis data can change the way fans follow matches.

Among the features rolled out for the 2026 US Open were Live Updates, Match Chat, Key Moments and Serve Quality.

Florida-based tennis star Jessica Pegula helped bring the technology to life at the 2026 US Open, partnering with IBM to showcase its latest AI-powered fan experiences. Pegula also made a special appearance at IBM’s Data Operations Center, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the technology powering the tournament. The partnership connected one of America’s biggest tennis stars with IBM’s growing investment in the sport’s digital future.

Photo credit: Oleg Yunakov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Serve Quality uses AI and advanced analytics to study the biomechanics of a player’s serve, tracking 21 positions across the player, ball and racquet 50 times per second. IBM said the system generated roughly 1.2 billion data points over the course of the tournament.

Match Chat gives fans an AI-powered companion capable of answering questions about matches in real time, while Key Moments helps explain the momentum shifts behind IBM’s live win-probability calculations.

“Every year we utilize cutting-edge technology to not only push the boundaries of digital engagement but to provide our fans the most useful and interesting ways to connect with our sport,” said Brian Ryerson, Senior Director, Digital Strategy at the USTA.

The renewed deal gives IBM and the USTA another five years to figure out what comes next — and keeps one of the biggest stages in tennis as a live laboratory for the future of sports technology.

Sources: IBM | IBM at the US Open. Photo credit (top): IBM.

FLORIDA TENNIS NEWS — POWERED BY OUR PARTNERS