A serve flashes on the Wimbledon scoreboard before the ball stops bouncing. That number comes from a partnership older than most players on court.
IBM has been Wimbledon’s technology partner for 36 years, since it planted serve-speed radar behind the baselines in 1991. This year the two extended their deal to 2030, Fortune reported.
The reach has outgrown the grass. More than half a million people attend over the fortnight, but they are a sliver of the audience. Wimbledon generated roughly 18 billion impressions across its digital channels in 2025. That reached an estimated 730 million people, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club says.
Visits to the site and app rose more than 20 per cent in the past year.
The engine room sits out of sight. IBM’s hub, nicknamed “Court 19”, lies beneath the 18th grass court. Over the tournament it processes about 2.7 million data points: ball speed, shot placement, momentum swings. It turns them into the features fans tap on the app.
