TENNIS: WIMBLEDON'S 138TH EDITION TO FEATURE NEW TECH AND RECORD PRIZE MONEY
London – While maintaining its revered traditions, the 138th edition of Wimbledon in 2025 promises to be packed with innovations and technology. This year's tournament, set to once again showcase the renewed rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, introduces several notable changes.
Despite fiercely guarding most of its long-standing rules, such as the mandatory predominantly white attire for players and the absence of sponsors on Centre Court, Wimbledon is embracing advancements. Key changes include finals starting two hours later, at 5 PM Italian time (2 PM local), and the introduction of Electronic Line Calling (ELC) on all 18 courts. This sophisticated technology will replace line judges, signaling "out" calls even during rallies, not just on serves.
Record Prize Money and Digital Innovations
The total prize money for Wimbledon 2025 will be the highest ever, increasing by 7% compared to the previous edition. This means the next champion of SW19 will take home over €3.5 million. If Alcaraz can repeat his triumph from last year, he will earn an additional £350,000 (over €400,000) more than 12 months ago. In alignment with other Grand Slams, the prize money for the women's singles champion will be identical, contributing to a total prize fund of €62.6 million. Even first-round losers will receive generous consolation prizes of over €77,000.
The tennis temple will also feature two new AI-powered digital innovations designed to enhance the fan experience. "Match Chat," an AI assistant, will answer fan questions in real-time, while the "Likelihood to Win" tool will be enhanced to provide live updates on each player's predicted winning percentage.
This focus on the audience, with approximately 40,000 attendees expected daily during the two-week Championships, led to the exclusion of a man who had been issued a restraining order earlier this year for stalking British tennis player Emma Raducanu. The stalker was identified and blocked by the All England Club's security system when he attempted to purchase Wimbledon tickets. The most anticipated players remain defending champion Alcaraz and world No. 1 Sinner.
Alcaraz and Sinner's Grass Season Preparations
The brief grass-court season has started differently for the two rivals. Alcaraz performed well at Queen's in London, while Sinner had an unexpectedly early exit in Halle. This setback for Sinner shouldn't be a major concern, not only because matches in London are best-of-five sets, but primarily because Wimbledon's grass, often described as "clay-like grass," is significantly slower than the fast German courts. Sinner aims to improve on his previous year's performance and reach the last Grand Slam final missing from his collection of successes.
Fognini Enters Main Draw with 10 Italians Competing
Fabio Fognini has entered the main draw due to the withdrawals of Casper Ruud and Arthur Fils, bringing the total number of Italian men directly admitted to the singles main draw at Wimbledon to ten.
Casper Ruud is among the notable absentees, still recovering from a left knee injury sustained in his second-round loss to Nuno Borges at Roland Garros. Also missing from the tournament are two other current Top 30 players: France's Arthur Fils, due to a back stress fracture, and American Sebastian Korda, who continues to be affected by a leg issue.
