AI goes courtside at US Open 2025: 3D replays and chat

What actually rolled out at the 2025 US Open

If you followed the 2025 US Open, you saw AI move from the booth to your pocket. IBM and the USTA introduced Match Chat, a generative assistant inside USOpen.org and the official app that can answer specific match questions in real time. It is powered by IBM’s watsonx stack and trained on official event data and editorial style, so it can return head to head numbers, point-by-point summaries, or contextual stats with natural language queries. IBM announced Match Chat for 2025.

The tournament also showcased 3D animated replays driven by tracking data. Fans could scrub through sequences, see ball trajectories and shot placement, and pair that with an AI commentator for bite sized explanations. Coverage described it as a first for the Open with millions of interactions over the fortnight. Reuters detailed the 3D replays and chat experience.

This story is not just about fan engagement. For coaches, parents, and junior players, these tools preview the next phase of tennis intelligence. Used the right way, they sharpen scouting, simplify in-match decision making, and turn post-match review into targeted practice.

Why this matters for performance

Tennis is a pattern sport. Points are not random. Opponents lean on familiar patterns under pressure, and you also repeat tendencies when stress rises. The 2025 features make those patterns easier to see and faster to query. That means you can convert hours of video and scattered notes into a few simple, repeatable cues.

The key is translation. Technology should reduce noise, not add it. Your goal is to convert 3D visuals and AI summaries into three outcomes:

• A clear pre match opponent profile that fits on one page
• Two or three in match decision cues you can remember at 5 all
• A post match drill list that mirrors exactly what decided points

Below is a practical workflow you can run at any level, from national juniors to college and pro.

A practical workflow you can run this week

1) Pre match opponent profiling

Objective: build a one page “pattern map” you can review in 5 minutes before warm up.

Inputs you can use

• 3D replay clips of a recent match from the same surface and conditions
• Match Chat responses on specific patterns and score states
• Your player’s last two matches for self patterns

What to extract

1. Serve tendencies

• First serve location by score: 30 40, 15 30, deuce points in tight games
• Second serve direction under pressure
• Preferred serve plus one pattern: forehand inside out after T serve, or backhand cross after body serve

2. Return behaviors

• Position and movement on first serve returns
• Aggression level on second serve returns at 0 30 or 30 40

3. Rally patterns

• Directional bias off each wing when neutral
• Depth management: short balls left, depth errors forced
• Pattern under stress: backhand cross until short then forehand line, or early down the line change

4. Finishing choices

• Approach triggers and volley patterns
• Passing shot preference when defending

Prompt bank for Match Chat

• “Show Player X first serve locations at 30 40 on hard courts in last five matches.”
• “When Player X hits a backhand cross neutral ball, what is the next most likely shot direction?”
• “List the top three serve plus one patterns for Player X on the ad side.”
• “How often did Player X approach off a short forehand vs a backhand in the last match?”
• “Which return direction produced more short balls against Opponent Y’s second serve?”

Turn the answers into a one page sheet

• Headline pattern: one sentence, for example, “On pressure points, ad side, heavy backhand cross until you miss, then forehand line.”
• Three diagrams: serve map, return zones, finishing lanes
• Three if then cues: examples below

Example if then cues

• If ad side second serve and score is 30 40, then start one step inside baseline on backhand return and aim deep middle to take away the backhand cross repeat.
• If first two backhand crosses are neutral, then be first to change down the line and follow to the net.
• If opponent hits T serve at 30 all on deuce side, then expect inside out forehand as the next ball and look early to the backhand corner.

Pro tip: keep the language concrete. Avoid vague words like “be aggressive.” Use location, tempo, and target. Print the sheet and keep it in your bag. Players are allowed pre written notes at most levels, while phones are not allowed on court.

2) In match decision cues

Objective: compress the profile into bite sized triggers you can use between points.

Build a two cue card

• Cue 1: return plan by score. Example, “Ad side second serve, step in and hit heavy through the middle unless the toss drifts left.”
• Cue 2: rally breaker. Example, “On the third backhand cross, change line, follow inside the baseline.”

Scoreboard triggers

• Pressure points: 30 all, 15 30, 30 40
• Momentum moments: after a long game, after a break, first point of tiebreak

Shotmaking triggers

• Footwork: if you are late on the forehand, take a half step back on the return game to buy time for the next point
• Contact: if you miss long twice in a row, aim two feet inside baseline next point

Coach box communication within 2025 rules

• Between points and during changeovers you can give brief, discreet verbal cues or hand signals, depending on event regulations
• Keep it to one clause cues: location and intention, not narratives
• Never attempt to give instructions during the point

Use 3D visuals on changeovers only where allowed

• At pro and college events, the player cannot use a phone or tablet during the point and often not on the bench either
• If the event allows approved analysis technology for coaches, you can verify a pattern live and translate it into a single sentence cue at the next break
• If not allowed, rely on the pre match sheet and your eyes, and save deeper review for after the match

Mental bandwidth guardrails

• Two cues maximum per set
• If a cue is not helping after two games, drop it and return to your A pattern

3) Post match drill design

Objective: convert what decided the match into two or three targeted drills you can repeat across the week.

Tag the decisive patterns

• Use 3D replay to mark the five rallies where you either won or lost the most leverage
• Ask Match Chat for a neutral summary such as, “Which shot direction produced the most errors from Player X, excluding double faults?”
• Cross check with your own charting notes

Design drills that look like the match

• Serve plus one lane pressure: basket start on the ad side T serve, feed a neutral backhand cross, player must change line on ball three and follow in, two down target, repeat to deuce side with mirror
• Return to neutral, then break: random second serves to both sides, returner aims deep middle, coach feeds a neutral ball, player must take time with forehand inside in on ball two
• Red to green transition: live feed to the player when they are three feet behind the baseline, objective is two neutral balls to get to green zone, then approach on the first short ball, finish with volley to opposite corner

Add constraints and scoring

• Time box to 8 minute blocks per pattern
• Use game scoring tied to targets, for example, first to 7 with two point margin, error on the change ball loses two points
• Progression ladder: start blocked, then variable, then random live points that cue the pattern by score

Track a simple KPI set

• First strike win percentage on your pattern ball
• Error rate when changing down the line on the backhand
• Deep middle accuracy on second serve returns by side

Log the work inside your off court program. Off court training is the most underused lever in tennis. OffCourt unlocks it with personalized physical and mental programs built from how you actually play. If you already use a planning tool, connect your drill list with your periodized strength and mobility calendar. If you need one, explore OffCourt personalized programs to unify court and gym work.

What the rules allow and what they do not in 2025

Coaching during pro matches changed in 2025, but not as much as headlines suggest. The global rules now allow limited off court coaching. Coaches can give brief, discreet advice between points and at changeovers in events that adopt the rule. On court coaching during points remains prohibited. Players still cannot use phones or smartwatches on court. Many events allow coaches to access approved player analysis technology away from the court, but the player cannot receive information during live points. Junior and high school rules can be stricter. Always check your event fact sheet.

Translate that into practice

• Build pre written cue cards for players. These are allowed and do not require devices
• Keep any live coaching to one clause instructions between points
• If your event allows coach side tablets, use them only to verify, not to overwhelm
• Never reference the AI assistant to the player during a point

Turning fan tech into coach tools

How to use the new features without overreliance:

• Use 3D visuals for spatial understanding. They make serve maps, rally lanes, and approach choices obvious
• Use Match Chat for quick synthesis and for generating candidate cues, then vet them with your eyes and the scoreboard
• Prefer first principles when AI and your scouting disagree. Momentum and matchup style often trump small percentage edges

A 20 minute scout template

1. Ten minutes on serve and return maps in 3D, annotated by score
2. Five minutes asking three focused Match Chat questions
3. Five minutes to write two if then cues and a one sentence headline pattern

A 20 minute post match template

1. Five minutes to mark three decisive rallies in 3D
2. Ten minutes to design two drills that replicate those patterns
3. Five minutes to log KPIs and update your next match cues

Case study: turning one match into a week of work

Scenario: your player loses 4 6, 6 3, 4 6 to a lefty with a heavy crosscourt forehand.

Pre match next time

• Profile shows the lefty serves slice wide on deuce at 30 all and goes forehand inside out on ball two
• Cue card says, “Deuce side return two steps wider, aim deep middle, expect inside out and look early to backhand corner”

In match

• Between points, the cue becomes “middle first, then early backhand line”
• When the opponent starts looping higher, you add a second cue, “Take on the rise off the backhand if feet are set”

Post match

• Drill 1: return plus first forehand neutralization, scoring first to 9 with bonus for deep middle
• Drill 2: backhand change line on ball three with approach, two down target, then live pass from coach
• KPI: error rate on the backhand line change under fatigue at 8 out of 10 heart rate scale

Practical guardrails to avoid AI traps

• Beware hallucinated context. If the assistant gives you a surprising stat, cross check with the official box score
• Avoid prompt fishing. Decide your questions before you ask. Three well formed questions beat ten random ones
• Separate fan fun from pro use. Animated avatars are engaging, but the value for you is ball flight, contact height, and depth charts
• Keep privacy in mind. Do not upload private player data to public tools. Store sensitive notes in your private system

What to watch next

The 2025 rollout signals a clear trajectory. Expect more live 3D, tighter integrations with broadcast, and smoother coach side workflows that auto generate cue cards from match data. As the rules mature, some events will formalize how coaches can access approved analysis tools during breaks. Your competitive edge will come from process, not novelty. If your team can turn raw data into two clear cues and the right three drills by Monday, you will beat players who only watch highlights.

The bottom line

• The 2025 US Open gave you two practical tools. A generative assistant for targeted questions and 3D replays for pattern visualization
• Translate them into a one page pre match profile, two in match cues, and two or three drills that mimic deciding patterns
• Respect the rules. Keep coaching brief and between points. No devices for players on court. Use pre written cues
• Keep it simple. If the cue does not help after two games, drop it

Off court training is where habits stick. OffCourt exists to make that work precise and personal. OffCourt unlocks off court training with programs built from how you actually play. If you want help turning your next match into a week of training, reach out and build your first plan.