Tennis and IT: How Wimbledon combines technology and tradition

Southwest London, the city is gearing up Wimbledon To the new edition of the oldest Grand Slam tournaments. At the world’s most important tennis event (July 3-16), tradition must be balanced with modernity, a challenge for officials Bill Jenks, Director of Technology for the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and Chris Clements, Head of Digital Products.

Tennis is to London what fashion is to Paris. What does the celebration of the 136th session mean this year?

Bill Jenks: Preserving the heritage of Wimbledon is particularly important to us, as it is one of our core values. We want everyone who participated in the tournament to have an unforgettable experience. As a technical team, we care about technical innovations without risking the magic of the event.

Wimbledon is also a technical event

Why is that so important?

Bill Jenks: We must make sure that Wimbledon remains the highlight of the tennis calendar. It is not only a sporting event but also a cultural one. We have an audience here that goes beyond the die-hard tennis fan.

How has technology made its way to Wimbledon over the years?

Chris Clements: The way we combine traditional elements with technology is completely unique. We want to make sure that tradition is present in everything we do. This also applies to the technical innovations that we are currently working on.

Is the All England Lawn Tennis Club following a strategy in its digital transformation?

Chris Clements: We have to create great experiences – for our guests on site as well as for those who follow our tournament through the media. Our goal is to constantly expand our global audience. We also see ourselves as ambassadors for tennis in general. This sport aims to prosper and has a positive impact. Technology helps us achieve these goals and is at the heart of our strategy.

Virtual Wimbledon fun on Roblox

Bill Jenks: We aim to bring the magic of Wimbledon to everyone – through our website and mobile apps, through which we deliver exceptional user experiences, but also through other digital opportunities that go beyond our media platforms. And while we can’t reveal everything here, there are examples we’ve already implemented. So we have a virtual experience called Roblox on the gaming platform Wimble World Additive, which was very successful in attracting younger audiences.

Chris Clements: One of the new features we’re particularly excited about is Amnesty International comment. AI-generated texts are added to featured videos on Wimbledon.com, spoken or optionally as subtitles. The second feature, which is also based on AI technology, is the analysis of upcoming game pairs. Each player’s possible path to the final is evaluated.

What technologies are you spending the most money on this year?

Bill Jenks: We’ve worked with IBM for 34 years in a continuous process of innovation. We develop ideas together and start projects that help us implement our ambitions and achieve our goals. We usually start with a long list of ideas and filter out the ones worth trying. If we’re right, these are the platforms and technologies that we’ll be implementing over the next year.

Has technology affected players over time as well?

Bill Jenks: Yes. There is a lot of data in the sports world today. How did the game go? Where did you hit the ball most often? How did you manage to register? IBM analyzes this data, as well as to create added value for the players themselves. We provide tennis stars with analytics tools to relive their games and analyze them in detail. You get data offerings far beyond what can be seen on digital channels or on TV.

For example, this year we bring you a new type of statistic based solely on the trajectory of the ball. If the player uses the official application, all services related to it will be displayed. This is the direction that we will promote in the future.

Wimbledon kicks off, there’s no delay

How much does the world’s largest tennis tournament benefit from digitization?

Chris Clements: In the past four or five years, we’ve had over 21 million fans using our digital platforms. This is a great number that we want to continue to build on. Our digital products are designed specifically for tennis courts and Wimbledon. We offer fans so much more than they will find anywhere else. Ultimately, it’s about making the most of your viewing experience, understanding the sport better, and understanding why Wimbledon is so special. I think we’ve achieved that through many of our initiatives.

What are the biggest challenges as Director of Technology at Wimbledon?

Bill Jenks: One of the biggest challenges is making sure we are ready to go on time. Since it starts in a few days, we have to squeeze the tube. In general, the integration of new technologies with existing systems and processes is no small feat. Throughout the year we are a small company, but once a year all the international lights shine on us. Everything should work there. We want to be ready to deliver an unforgettable experience when the gates open next Monday.

Our fans can expect to see a lot more matches at Wimbledon than they have yet to offer. You will experience new perspectives thanks to the new data. I hope they can enjoy the Wimbledon they know and love in a technology-enhanced format. (hv)