Top tennis players worldwide are competing again this year at Wimbledon, which started on July 3rd, to win the coveted trophy. But there is a winner already, artificial intelligence (AI), which is taking over the commentary this year.

International Business Machines (IBM) and the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) work together, offering cutting-edge technologies that improve fans’ experience. 

The sophisticated AI tool, officially introduced at the first games of the top tournament, allows tennis fans to follow key moments of matches with audio commentary on the official Wimbledon website and mobile app.

According to IBM, the feature aims to give fans a more insightful experience when catching up on highlights from matches. “Using IBM’s AI technology, Wimbledon turns tennis data into insights and returns a world-class experience”, the company highlights. 

However, some critics talk about entering a new era, uncharted, with the future of the commentators of the matches, who could be replaced by AI, uncertain.

How Wimbledon is Embracing AI

The innovative feature is supported by IBM’s AI platform, Watson, to collect and analyze ball tracking data, player locations, and the types of shots used on the court. Then, the AI tool generated commentary based on the information provided. Generative AI was applied to produce the narration, featuring male and female voices, with no human input.
In its debut, the AI-powered commentary received particularly positive comments from viewers, who rushed to use the new tool. By analyzing the relevant data and statistics, the tool estimates how challenging the next match is for each player and how likely they are to reach the final.
For instance, Carlos Alcaraz was indicated as having the second most favourable draw compared to other players left on the field, with a 79% chance of winning against Jérémy Chardy in the gentlemen’s singles first round. The team behind the new AI tool monitors its operation throughout the tournament to ensure everything goes according to plan.

IBM teams up with AELTC

“IBM is bringing new layers of insight and engagement to the 2023 Championships through the use of innovative new tools, powered by foundation models and generative AI from Watsonx. We’ve seen first-hand how these technologies have the power to help major sporting events like Wimbledon to grow their audiences through outstanding digital experiences. The AI and data platform that IBM is using to create unique fan experiences for Wimbledon is the same technology that we’re using to drive business transformation with clients across all sectors and industries,” said Jonathan Adashek, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for IBM.

“We are constantly innovating with our partners at IBM to provide Wimbledon fans, wherever they are in the world, with an insightful and engaging digital experience of The Championships. This year, we’re introducing new features for our digital platforms that use the latest AI technology from IBM to help fans gain even more insight into the singles draw and access commentary on a wider variety of matches through our match highlights videos,” said Usama Al-Qassab, Marketing & Commercial Director, The All England Club.

“As an organization with heritage at its core, the innovation partnership with IBM is vital to ensure we evolve as the world around us changes,” says Chris Clements, Digital Products Lead at the AELTC. “By utilizing the latest tools and world-leading expertise from IBM, we can innovate to ensure enduring relevance. There is a fantastic synergy between IBM and Wimbledon as organizations with a rich history that are constantly changing to ensure they are fit for the future.”

“We’re always looking to see how we can improve fan engagement through the use of AI and other IBM technologies,” says Bill Jinks, Technology Director at the AELTC. “How do we bring the next level of data to the fan? How do we get Wimbledon front and center and use machine learning processes to bring these things to the fore that people might not see instantly? That’s exactly the sort of innovation that excites us.”

The Future of Refereeing

Another major tennis tournament that offers digital experiences is the Australian Open. It partnered with Decentraland in January last year to allow fans to watch matches and the main Rod Laver Arena even without being physically there. The virtual reality platform also released a collection of 6,776 NFTs called ‘Art Ball NFTs’.

The Australian Open and the US Open, among others, have already generalized electronic refereeing in 2021. The ATP announced in April that traditional on-court line referees will be replaced in 2025 to achieve “optimizing the accuracy and consistency of officiating between tournaments.”

At this year’s Wimbledon, the on-court line referees are in place and offering their services. “Technology for line refereeing is evolving. Since 2007, we have been using the Hawk-Eye verification system, including videos that players can request in limited numbers, and it works well. But who knows what the future will be”? Emphasizes Bill Jinks.