28/04/2026
When we watch our athletes like Alex Eala play tennis on the world stage, we see grit, talent, and discipline. We bond over our mutual admiration and share our collective emotion in every game.
When we play a trendy sport like Pickleball, we engage in friendly rivalries. We build relationships and create communities through competition and sportsmanship.
In the wonderful world of sports, we connect by watching and playing together.
But sports do not only bring people together. Sports also bring ideas and creativity into play. Behind every modern sport, is a world of innovation to enhance the game and experience.
Whether you are in your tennis-fan era or pickleball era, you would be surprised to know that over the last decade there are more than 12,800 inventions relating to racket sports alone! ๐พ๐ธ๐๐ฎFrom carbon fiber and composite rackets to string technology, to player performance monitoring, to officiating and court-side analytics systems. Racket sports, which include tennis, badminton, table tennis, padel, pickleball and squash, among others, often learn from each other when it comes to new technology. When one discipline comes up with a new breakthrough, it can be quickly adapted for others.
๐ก๐คCurious about your favorite sport and how it is being shaped by cutting-edge technology? Check out WIPO's Technology SPARK report on Sports Innovations this 2026 World IP Day themed "IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate!". Link below โฌ
https://www.wipo.int/en/web/patent-analytics/sports-innovations
(Images: WIPO)