Bengaluru-based tech-giant Infosys signed Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal as its ambassador for a three-year period, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
Nadal’s first collaboration with the company will be in the development of an AI-powered match analysis tool. “This personalised tool will be available in real-time to Nadal’s coaching team to simultaneously track insight from his live matches, when he is back on tour, along with historical data from his earlier matches,” Infosys said.
Nadal was “very happy to work closely with Infosys, as they work to not only evolve the experience of tennis to the times, but also empower people in our communities to be part of a brighter future,” the company quoted the tennis legend as saying.
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Infosys, he said, has brought its “digital expertise across industries to the global tennis ecosystem. It has transformed the tennis experience for a billion global fans and truly empowered all players on the tour with analytics that they could have only dreamt of a few years ago. Also, the impact that Infosys is making beyond the court – creating the next opportunity for people, businesses, and communities – deeply inspires me. I believe it’s our shared aspiration to create societal good that makes our handshake truly meaningful,” according to the release.
Salil Parekh, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Infosys, welcomed Nadal as an ambassador for Infosys. “He is someone who personifies the spirit of always evolving, never giving up, utmost dedication and determination to give the very best in every situation. We are inspired by his approach, and it reflects our own aspirations to continuously evolve and always remain relevant for our clients,” Parekh said.
The IT giant is also a digital innovation partner for various tennis tournaments and “brand Infosys has helped re-imagine the tennis ecosystem for a billion fans globally leveraging AI, cloud, data analytics and digital experiences. Infosys has pioneered video and stats analysis platforms for players and coaches to revolutionize training, bolstered match analysis with AI-assisted journalism platforms for broadcasters to post engaging content and introduced new ways for fans to engage with the game,” the company said.
Other innovations, from Infosys, for the tennis ecosystem include explorations in the digital universe including mixed reality, social VR and 3D art museums to expand the history, and heritage of tennis to fans globally. Most recently, Infosys launched the Carbon Tracker, allowing ATP players to track and offset emissions from their travel on tour. It is a first-of-its-kind sustainable tech in any sport, according to Infosys.