India, Jan. 28 -- A fresh drama erupted at the 2026 Australian Open after top players Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka were forced to remove banned fitness trackers before the start of their respective matches in Melbourne earlier this week. The wearable devices in question were Whoop trackers, worn by athletes to monitor performance and recovery.

Alcaraz was asked to remove the device hidden beneath his wrist sweatband ahead of his fourth-round match against American Tommy Paul on Rod Laver Arena on Sunday. The incident occurred during his warm-up after the toss, when chair umpire Marija Cicak noticed the fitness-tracking device on his right wrist. Alcaraz obliged and promptly removed it, but the moment, captured live b...