MELBOURNE, Australia —
One moment, they are playing tennis. The next, they disappear from the court, or melt into a puddle, or do a backflip mid-point. Their rackets flail independently from their hands and sometimes disappear completely. Their heads are oversized. They are the best tennis players in the world; they are the undisputed stars of the 2025 Australian Open.
They are also cartoons.
The Animated Tennis Players
There’s Daniil Medvedev, last year’s finalist, whaling his racket into the net.
There’s Madison Keys, this year’s semifinalist, running down a ball before backflipping into the air and disappearing, causing Elena-Gabriela Ruse to miss a volley.
And there’s Jack Draper, feeling the effects of five three-set matches in a row and dissolving into the court.
AO Animated
These clips are courtesy of AO Animated, a YouTube livestream produced by the Australian Open that delivers video-game-style broadcasts of the matches played on Melbourne Park’s three show courts: Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. It uses tracking data from the Hawk-Eye system used for electronic line calling (ELC) to map the movement of the players and the trajectory of the ball, before overlaying the skins — facial features, kits, the racket — that turns that data into a cartoon player.
How it Works
This means that for all the fun of the glitches, the feed is a faithful reproduction of the live tennis, just on a short delay. There’s real commentary, crowd noise and chair umpire calls, alongside bobble-headed figures who bear only a passing resemblance to the players they’re representing. In a throwback to old computer games, the protagonists occasionally have minds of their own.
Tennis Australia’s Director of Innovation
“We knew we were sitting on this asset, ELC, and it started with that,” Machar Reid, Tennis Australia’s director of innovation said in an interview at Melbourne Park this week.
“We’re using it for the skeletal data, with 29 points on the skeleton. That’s being tracked 50 times a second by the 12 cameras. That allows you to create a 3D mesh and then you put the skin over the top. There’s almost an infinite number of avatars you can have.
“There’s something in it, around building a community to allow people to chat about what’s happened and connect with the sport differently.”
Community Engagement
The community chat is a staple of YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and other streaming platforms, which tennis has been institutionally slow to embrace. The NBA, NFL and NHL have used this gamified version of sports broadcasting: in December, Disney+ broadcast the NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals as The Simpsons on Monday Night Football. It complements the Formula One drivers who stream on Twitch, the world-famous footballers who love esports, and the athletes who use TikTok.
Conclusion
AO Animated is a clear sign that tennis understands how sports media is changing and that getting left behind could quickly become a death sentence. One day, these animated tennis bobbleheads might rule the world. Until then, there’s always Daniil Medvedev and his disappearing racket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does AO Animated work?
A: AO Animated uses tracking data from the Hawk-Eye system used for electronic line calling (ELC) to map the movement of the players and the trajectory of the ball, before overlaying the skins — facial features, kits, the racket — that turns that data into a cartoon player.
Q: What is the goal of AO Animated?
A: The goal of AO Animated is to create a fun and engaging way for fans to experience the Australian Open and tennis in general. It also aims to build a community around the sport, allowing fans to chat about what’s happening and connect with each other.
Q: Will other Grand Slams follow suit?
A: While it’s unlikely that every major will be populated with animated versions of players bobbling around the court, AO Animated is one of the clearest signs yet that tennis understands how sports media is changing and that getting left behind could quickly become a death sentence.
Q: What is the future of AO Animated?
A: AO Animated plans to add emotion tracking, allowing players to celebrate and despair, as well as commentators that include color not to the real tennis being animated, but to the quirks of the animation itself. Further developing AO Animated is also an aim, with a desire to add animating the entire complex.