BearingPoint Ireland’s Gillian O’Sullivan tells us about how the company is using data and AI to support the development of Ireland’s tennis ecosystem.
Irish tennis fans are no doubt excited for the coming weekend.
Tomorrow (13 September), the second-round qualifiers for the 2025 edition of international men’s tennis competition, the Davis Cup, kick off. Over two days, Ireland’s premier tennis players will face members of China PR’s team with the hopes of advancing to the next stage of the tournament.
Tennis, like many other sports, has been increasing its usage of technology in various ways. From the use of Hawk-Eye tracking tech to AI-driven court analysis, tennis appears to be turning its eye to the capabilities of technology to aid the sport.
“Technology and sport are increasingly intertwined, with digital transformation opening up new possibilities for performance analysis, resource management and user experience,” says Gillian O’Sullivan, country leader for BearingPoint in Ireland.
In July, the tech consultancy company announced a new multi-year partnership with Tennis Ireland (TI) to use technology to transform how the sport operates and develops talent, from grassroots to professional levels.
“I believe that harnessing the power of data and AI will be essential for driving innovation, developing talent and achieving ambitious goals for the sport,” says O’Sullivan.
As TI’s Official Digital, Data and AI Partner, BearingPoint has become the title sponsor for new performance data dashboards for TI, known as BearingPoint TI Advantage dashboards.
“These dashboards will provide real-time insights into participation, player performance, rankings and development pathways,” says O’Sullivan. “They will be instrumental in Tennis Ireland’s business transformation, enabling coaches and administrators to make data-driven decisions and support athletes more effectively.”
From left: Peter Buldorini, Kevin Quinn, Gillian O’Sullivan, Gary Mullane, Sinéad Lohan and Conor Gannon. Image: INPHO/Bryan Keane
As O’Sullivan explains to SiliconRepublic.com, the technology will transform how participation and performance data is captured, analysed and utilised, with different metrics to be measured according to the level of play.
“The partnership focuses on transforming the methods of data collection, analysis and application, ensuring that the information gathered is both comprehensive and actionable,” she says. “Data-driven insights will empower athletes and coaches to make informed decisions about training, development and competition strategies.
“By analysing performance metrics, we can identify opportunities for improvement and tailor support to individual needs, ultimately enhancing athletic capabilities and helping players reach their full potential.”
Tech in play
But what do the dashboards actually measure?
At the grassroots and development levels, the dashboards focus on TI player and club participation data such as activity levels, match history, rankings and games played over time.
“This enables TI to have the relevant insights it needs as the National Governing Body for the sport for the whole of Ireland,” says O’Sullivan.
“At the TI performance level, the data becomes more advanced and specialised. Metrics may include physical and biomechanical indicators such as movement speed, acceleration and distance covered per match.”
She says that these insights – which can be captured through wearable technology – can be used to support strength and conditioning assessments.
“Additionally, visual and advanced analytics could be used to assess shot value such as shot depth and spin rate, ultimately supporting swing analyse for coaches and TI performance players.”
The use of these dashboards will extend to every area of the support, including disability tennis.
“Tennis is already an incredibly inclusive sport and we are proud to actively support the continued growth and visibility of disability tennis in Ireland,” O’Sullivan says. “Our digital transformation initiatives will extend to all facets of the sport, reinforcing our commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that the benefits of technology and data are accessible to every player, regardless of ability.”
O’Sullivan adds that the BearingPoint-TI partnership is also designed to be “adaptive and scalable”.
“As the partnership evolves, we’ll continue exploring how best to integrate emerging technologies to support TI and performance players across the sport.”
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
