This week, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) will host its official 50-year anniversary gala in New York. If my schedule allowed me to attend, I would be thrilled, even though I usually prefer t-shirts over formal suits. I would be delighted to attend because the partnership between SAP and the WTA encapsulates two of my big passions: tennis and data.
Now, by harnessing the power of SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), the Association — which joined me on stage during our SAP Sapphire event a few months ago — aims to optimize its rich array of data sources, paving the way for more informed decision-making and elevated experiences for players, fans, and the game of tennis.
Having watched the Wimbledon finals, I am mesmerized by how players make split-second decisions in such a fast-paced game and hit almost every ball perfectly. The pressure on the center court is definitely immense!
During the course of the match, players take many shots, and every single one matters. How can players react so quickly and apply all their experience and training to their actions on the court? They need a winning strategy, confidence in their strengths, and the “muscle memory” built from continuous training. This allows them to perform on the court and react to the opponent’s ball in split seconds.
As a hobby tennis player myself, I love the feeling of landing a perfect shot; that is, when I know the shot is going to be a winner as soon as it comes off my racket. My serve is not too bad either. As a chief technology officer, I can also draw analogies to my other passion: data — and winning good insights from it.
Wouldn’t it be perfect if executives could make decisions like professional tennis players? With confidence in their winning strategy, and equipped with corporate muscle memory built from years of experience and practice to enable them to be both proactive and reactive in their day to day work?
Just like tennis players, companies need to test their strategy and feed their muscle memory again and again — based on trusted data insights. And like the tennis players on the court, executives need to have a vision coupled to a winning strategy, and the ability to make quick decisions that are based on real-time information. Data plays a key role in this: having data in one place and accessing it whenever it’s needed is essential for effective decision-making.
We at SAP are equipping organizations to do just that with new tools like the “Just Ask” feature in SAP Analytics Cloud, which applies generative artificial intelligence (AI) and foundation models to search-driven analytics. This is also where SAP’s more than 50 years of experience in technology and our solutions come in, which enable companies to win in their own competitive environments.
I could not be more thrilled that the WTA and SAP are celebrating the Women’s Tennis Association’s 50th anniversary together and are joining forces to transform the way data is managed and applied in women’s tennis.
This latest collaboration between SAP and the WTA marks a significant milestone in our partnership as the WTA embraces a data-driven approach to shape the future of the game.
Congratulations WTA, to your 50th anniversary. I think we make perfect doubles partners. Game, set, match!
Learn more about the WTA’s data transformation project.
Juergen Mueller is CTO and a member of the Executive Board of SAP SE.