Inside story on the data hub driving the Wimbledon statistics machine
Technology has been a major talking point at Wimbledon this year with the introduction of the Hawk-Eye line backfiring amid some contentious calls, but the machine driving the data that serves broadcasters, the media and the players at Wimbledon is a fine-tuned machine during the most prestigious tournament in the world.
Tennis365 was invited into the IBM data hub deep in the bowels of the vast broadcast centre at the All England Club, as we got the inside story on the team of technical-savvy experts navigating their way through the intense two weeks of action.
COUNTING THE STATS
Players, fans and spectators are all using the statistical data provided by IBM at Wimbledon, even if they don’t realise they are accessing it.
The impressive Wimbledon app is hosting the information being processed by IBM, with live scores and instantly updated information delivered to fans fortunate enough to get into the All England Club during these special two weeks and for those watching on around the world.
For 2025, a new ‘Match Chat’ feature is proving to be hugely popular, with an AI-generated chat section available for the big matches that will give you the information you need about the players taking part at the touch of a button.
“Our research has told us that fans are happy to have a second screen open to give them snackable information,” said Kevin Farrar, IBM’s Head of Sport Partnerships for Wimbledon.
“Match Chat is the big new feature we launched for 2025 and it is proving to be hugely popular, with big increases in our engagement numbers over the course of The Championships so far.”
WIN PREDICTOR
We have had win predictors on our TV screens before and during matches in recent years, with the results they serve up often sparking a debate.
Now fans using the Wimbledon app can get access to their own win predictors on the Wimbledon app, with the swing during Monday night’s match between Grigor Dimitrov and Jannik Sinner favouring the Bulgarian heavily before his unfortunate injury.
Giving fans who may only follow Wimbledon and are not big tennis fans all year access to this kind of information is designed to add to their understanding of the event and allow they to gain knowledge on players they may follow after Wimbledon.
COUNTING THE ERRORS
Ever wondered who counts the aces and unforced errors in a match?
You need to be a tennis player of county level or above to land this role on the IBM team at Wimbledon, as a strong knowledge of tennis is required to ensure the right calls are made.
Unforced errors are always a topic of debate, with some observers suggesting the verdict on a mistake that had not been forced by an opponent is a little harsh, but IBM are doing all they can to ensure players get a fair call.
WHAT DO THE PLAYERS GET?
It’s not just the TV, media and fans who get the statistical data driving Wimbledon, as the players are also reliant on the statistics from their matches and those of their opponents.
They get this via an exclusive section on the Wimbledon app that is not open to the public, as players can find out a treasure trove of data about their last match and areas they could look to improve.
They are also able to access data revealing where their opponents place their serves and where they like to return a ball on pressure points.
This can be crucial on break points or when a match gets tight in the closing stages, with any edge they can gain on court so crucial at the top end of the sport.
READ NEXT: Huge problem on Wimbledon’s Centre Court after alarming line call malfunction