To mark the 125th Anniversary of The Wimbledon Championships, HSBC commissioned the Sports Technology Institute at Loughborough to give us a glimpse of what the 150th Wimbledon Championships may look like; the players clothing, the rackets they use and even how we might be watching the Wimbledon Final of 2036. Whilst these ideas may seem like flights of fancy today, we should just ask if 25 years ago anyone would have believed Centre Court would sport a retractible roof or that we'd use missile technology to judge if a ball was in or out!
Whilst looking forward there is of course, one question that springs to mind. It took until the 30th Championships for an overseas winner of the Men's Singles. Since then only 2 British men have won that title and 2036 will mark 100 years since the last of those, Fred Perry, won Wimbledon. In the intervening period we have seen periods of dominance from Australia, USA and of course Sweden & Germany. So, will the next 25 years see a new British Champion, or in the wake of the recent success of Li Na, and the post Beijing growth in the sport, will China become the dominant force in world tennis?
But whatever the future may hold, one thing is certain. The Wimbledon Championships, as it has throughout its history, will be at the forefront, quietly embracing technology to maintain its position as the acknowledged premier tennis tournament in the world. Played on grass, of course!
The major change for players, will be the ability for them to monitor their performance during a game:
- Sensors will monitor muscular contractions, measuring fatigue and minimising strain on tiring muscles
- Sweat levels will be monitored to gauge hydration levels and, along with heart-rate monitors provide indications of stress
- This information will enable them to regulate their intake of water, supplements and of course even bananas to the exact level required to maximise their performance levels
The use of virtual environments will allow players to train and prepare like never before, adjusting to the grass of Wimbledon even from the other side of the world:
- Player's will be able to train on specific courts such as Centre Court and select individual opponents
- Using live data based on every players performance, virtual tennis robots will simulate an opponents game strategy and technique
- Opponents' games can also be watched passively in the virtual world during recovery, to maximise preparation between physical training sessions
Clothing will, perhaps surprisingly, become a key element in maximising playing performance:
- Multiple sensors will actually be woven into the fabric to provide key information for players (see the tennis player), meaning that skin tight clothing will become the norm
- Interchangeable lenses will allow players greater visibility on court, adjustable to the lighting conditions.
- Clothing fabrics will be capable of regulating a player's temperature
Whilst the racket is the most obvious area for technological improvement, it is also the most regulated meaning improvements will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary:
- Stiffer, lighter materials will allow much thinner frames, creating a much larger "sweet spot" and enabling player's to generate far more spin
- Wireless sensors will be embedded into the frame of the racket to record racket speed for every shot
- Strings will bruise before breaking
This is possibly the area of greatest change, enabling a much better experience spectators in the ground as well as audiences at home:
- Sensors on the players, the racket, the ball and around the court will provide a multitude of information available to all audiences, in addition to those traditionally used today.
- Spectators will use their own personal multimedia devices to use this information to enhance their viewing experience as well as to watch replays of points or follow matches on other courts
- Holographic projection technology will allow live game feeds to be projected in 3D environments, literally bringing Wimbledon's Centre Court into our living room
HSBC Celebrating 125 years of The Wimbledon Championships
