WIMBLEDON NEWS: Artificial Intelligence and the World's Most Important Tennis Tournament

From the special reporter "Vijesti"

Wimbledon, the most famous and significant tennis tournament in the world and one of Britain's greatest sporting products, is celebrating its 138th edition this July.

Although the courts look familiar, what happens behind the scenes is ushering tennis into a new - digital - era.

This year, artificial intelligence is being used to improve the way fans around the world follow the tournament.

We've already written about how the elegantly dressed line judges have "disappeared" from the court - everything has been taken over by a computer, which is also not flawless (two errors have been registered during the matches so far), but the experiences that players and fans have, that tennis when a tennis player asks for a "challenge" and when they start checking the referee's decisions, seem to have disappeared irretrievably.

And what about this year's Wimbledon and the fan experience?

Two new AI-powered features have been added to the official Wimbledon app and website. They have been developed in partnership with IBM, which has been working with Wimbledon on technology and data for more than 30 years.

This collaboration has entered a new phase.

The first feature is called "Match Chat." It allows viewers to ask questions during a match, for example, how many aces a player served, and receive answers in real time, in natural and understandable language.

It works by combining natural language processing with live match data, so fans can get instant explanations and context without having to dig through the statistics themselves.

Kevin Farrar, director of sports partnerships at IBM, explains:

"Every year we introduce new innovations on digital platforms to engage fans around the world. Our two new features this year are Match Chat, an assistant that allows fans to interact with the match as it unfolds. They can ask questions about players, statistics, what has happened in the match so far. It's a fun and useful way to understand the match, with an additional digital experience while watching the tennis match."

"Match Chat" is powered by generative artificial intelligence, based on a wealth of historical data, collected over years, as well as official records and expert tennis commentary delivered in natural language.

The goal, according to the organizers, is to help viewers understand not only what is happening - but also why it is happening.

The second new feature is called "Live Likelihood to Win" and is a statistical prediction of which player has a better chance of winning, which is updated point by point, depending on the course of the match.

It analyzes both pre-match data - such as player form - and during the match, such as serve hit percentage and break point utilization.

Something similar is used by bookmakers who set live odds, although they also have their own separate methods.

Farrar further says:

"Our second addition is called 'Live Likelihood to Win'. It's an upgrade to a feature we introduced a few years ago. Back then, we used data on players' form and results before a match to project who had a better chance of winning. This year, we've extended that functionality to the match itself. Viewers can see how the probability of winning changes as the game progresses."

All of this relies on match data that is collected and processed in real time, at the tournament itself.

IBM's digital operations team is responsible for maintaining the app, the site, and all automatic updates - including live scores, statistics, and AI-powered generated content.

"We're in one of IBM's operations rooms, below the main broadcast center at Wimbledon. This is our digital team. They're in charge of the digital platforms - Wimbledon.com and the official app. They're making sure everything is working, that the results and statistics are updated properly, and they're looking after the new AI features we've introduced this year," Farrar explains from the control room.

The decision to incorporate AI into the user experience comes in response to changes in the way people follow sports. More and more fans expect personalized, instant content, often across multiple platforms simultaneously.

Chris Clements, digital strategy and product manager at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, says:

"Media habits are changing rapidly. People are increasingly using chat services and generative AI. Some of the fastest growing digital products in the world are based on generative AI. We believe this service will allow us to talk to fans in the way they are used to receiving information."

Wimbledon has been using elements of artificial intelligence for years, but organizers emphasize that their goal is a careful and thoughtful use of technology - to support, not replace, the human aspect of the sport.

Klements adds:

"At Wimbledon, we are very careful when introducing new technologies. Everything here revolves around what we call deliberate innovation. We have been using AI for seven or eight years and what we have realized is that it can unlock more of the human potential. In the end, it all comes down to the human story - because sport is above all about human struggle, effort and emotion. That is why, even when we develop new technologies, we try not to lose what makes Wimbledon special."

Artificial intelligence has replaced linesmen, but it won't replace players, coaches, or commentators. However, at Wimbledon this year, it is helping the audience better understand the story as the match progresses.

And that may just be the beginning of a much deeper game-changing connection between sports and technology.