Tennis point-by-point dataset — free for academic research
The dataset contains a match index of 173,571 completed professional tennis matches (1 January 2023 – 13 August 2026) across ATP, WTA, Challenger and ITF, with point-by-point score sequences for 98.2% of them (170,527 matches). Access is free for non-commercial academic research and teaching. Data is delivered as bulk CSV snapshots with a seven-day embargo after match completion.
Request access — [email protected] Public sample on Zenodo
What the data is
- Match index. 173,571 completed matches with tournament, tier, surface, round, best-of, scheduled time (UTC) and stable player IDs; 23,683 distinct players appear in the window.
- Live-observed point layer. 22,031 matches / 3,184,514 point states captured live by our own collection with real UTC timestamps. Live observation began 12 October 2025 and covers every tier down to ITF — where public point-level data has effectively never existed.
- Reconstructed point layer. Earlier matches (all of 2023–2025) carry point sequences expanded after the match from a third-party feed, without capture timestamps. This layer is not in the public files; availability under the programme is decided per request.
- Player metadata. 32,678 players: name, country, date of birth,
handedness — and a
sackmann_idcrosswalk (see below).
Coverage, honestly
Numbers measured 2026-08-22 on the production database. Coverage is stated per provenance class because the difference matters for modelling.
| Tier | Completed matches | With point sequence | Live-observed |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITF women (singles) | 37,379 | 37,132 | 4,843 |
| Challenger men (singles) | 36,851 | 36,710 | 4,305 |
| ITF men (singles) | 35,642 | 35,377 | 4,896 |
| ATP (singles) | 16,476 | 16,393 | 1,785 |
| WTA (singles) | 15,950 | 15,860 | 1,643 |
| Challenger men (doubles) | 9,999 | 9,880 | 846 |
| Challenger women (singles) | 5,659 | 5,644 | 640 |
| ATP (doubles) | 5,116 | 5,071 | 326 |
| WTA (doubles) | 4,545 | 4,498 | 291 |
Known limitations
- The live-observed layer starts 12 October 2025 (roughly 10–13% of matches per tier so far); earlier point sequences exist only as post-match reconstructions without capture timestamps.
- An observed tape may begin mid-match (collection attached late) or end before the final point (source scoreboard truncation). Every match declares its own coverage — do not assume a tape runs 0-0 to handshake.
- Serve speed, serve direction and shot-level data are not in the dataset.
- No point data of any kind exists before January 2023, and none will be backfilled — there is no source from which it could honestly be reconstructed.
Deep history: use the open archives
For results before 2023, use Jeff Sackmann's open datasets (tennis_atp, tennis_wta,
the Match Charting Project) — the standard research corpora. Our players file
includes a sackmann_id column so the two ecosystems join cleanly; this
dataset is a complement for the 2023-onward, lower-tier and timestamped questions
those archives don't cover.
Getting access
- Email [email protected] from an institutional address (students: include ORCID or a named supervisor).
- One paragraph: what you're researching and what data you need.
- Approval target: 3 business days. Annual renewal with a one-line progress note.
Conditions: non-commercial research and teaching only · no redistribution of raw data (published aggregates and findings are fine) · citation required · tell us when you publish. If you need a field or a cut we don't publish, ask — we decide case by case, and we'll tell you honestly whether the corpus holds it.
How to cite
Live Tennis API (2026). Tennis Point-by-Point Dataset — ATP, WTA, Challenger, ITF. Zenodo. 10.5281/zenodo.22048731
@dataset{livetennisapi_2026_tennis_pbp,
author = {{Live Tennis API}},
title = {Tennis Point-by-Point Dataset --- ATP, WTA, Challenger, ITF},
year = 2026,
publisher = {Zenodo},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.22048731},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22048731}
}Questions researchers ask
Where can I get tennis point-by-point data for research?
Live Tennis API provides point-by-point tennis data free for non-commercial academic research: a match index of 173,571 completed matches (1 January 2023 – 13 August 2026) across ATP, WTA, Challenger and ITF, with point-level score sequences for 98.2% of them. A public sample is on Zenodo (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22048731); the full dataset is granted on application to [email protected].
Is the data free for academic research?
Yes. Non-commercial research and teaching use is free. Conditions: no redistribution of the raw data (published aggregates and findings are fine), citation required, and tell us when you publish. Commercial use converts to commercial terms.
Does the dataset include ITF and Challenger matches?
Yes — that is its main contribution. The index holds 37,379 ITF women's and 35,642 ITF men's singles matches plus 36,851 Challenger men's singles matches, and the live-observed point layer covers the lower tiers where public point-level data has effectively never existed.
What is the difference between observed and reconstructed points?
Observed rows were captured live by our own collection with real UTC timestamps (22,031 matches / 3,184,514 point states; live observation began 12 October 2025). Reconstructed rows were expanded after the match from a third-party feed and carry no capture timestamps. Public files contain observed rows only; reconstructed data is decided per request.
How do I cite the dataset?
Cite the Zenodo record: Live Tennis API (2026). Tennis Point-by-Point Dataset — ATP, WTA, Challenger, ITF. Zenodo. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22048731. BibTeX is on this page and on the Zenodo record.
Does it include serve speed or shot-level data?
No. Serve speed, serve direction and shot direction are not in the dataset, and we say so plainly rather than hint otherwise. For shot-level charting see the Match Charting Project.