This week the MIT Sloan Analytics Conference will showcase some of the cutting-edge research happening in sports statistics. What do the themes from this year suggest about the state-of-the-art in quantitative work in sport?
As Roger Federer was crowned with his 20th Grand Slam title at the 2018 Australian Open, the winners of the first AO to AI Hackathon competition were being decided. In this post, I take a look at the winning models and discuss what they mean for the future of calling point outcomes in tennis.
Starting in 2019, Grand Slams will have just 16 seeds. Top players have expressed concerns that this change will make it harder for them to advance to the latter stages of Majors and make for less competitive matches as the events progress. Are they right?
With two heavy outsiders into the men’s semifinals, does the outcome of the men’s draw become a foregone conclusion? Or should momentum raise our expectations for the underdogs?
After 6 months out of action owing to an elbow injury, Novak Djokovic is one match away from a quarterfinal at the Australian Open. Djokovic is on track to make a strong return in Melbourne. But how unusual is a fast comeback after injury? What can most top players who have delayed their 2018 return expect about the difficulty of reaching their previous form?
A strong pre-AO run and a bit of luck put Elina Svitolina at the top of a tight race for the Australian Open women’s title. Who are the other women with the best chances for the first Major win of 2018?
Roger Federer drew the toughest quarter of the 2018 Men’s Australian Open draw but is still the favourite to defend his title. Who else is a contender for the men’s title?
Andy Murray’s withdrawal from the Australian Open topped the list of a series of unfortunate absences to start the men’s 2018 tennis season. Are the physical demands of the current game causing burn out at the top of the sport?
Who dominated each surface in 2017? This post breaks down the best clay, hard, and grass performers on the men’s tour this year.
2017 has been a wide-open year for the WTA. What do Elo ratings tell us about the standout serve and return performances of the season?
