Tennis fans will be given the chance to take up a racquet and challenge champions past and present at Wimbledon this summer.
Inside the new Vine Cabin at the All England Club is a green screen, in front of which waiting visitors will be handed a racquet and invited to strike their best action poses. These will be stitched together with key moments from the archives into a six-second clip of the fan besting champions such as Roger Federer, John McEnroe and Andy Murray, which will be available to tweet.
Organisers are determined to outdo last year’s output on social media. Some 15 million tweets were inspired by the tournament, with three million sent on the last day alone. Novak Djokovic’s triumph over Federer in the men’s final led to a staggering 23,000 per minute.
The 2016 championships, which start on Monday, see the return of the Wimbledon emojis introduced by Twitter last year. When hashtags such as #Wimbledon and #TheHill are used, for example, icons of tennis balls and Murray Mount - formerly Henman Hill - will appear.
However, the All England Club wants to stage a more interactive tournament for 2016. This year, onlookers on Murray Mount will be united with Twitter’s audience, in real-time, via a large digital screen. Other displays alongside queuing spectators will pose questions and encourage them to vote for answers via Twitter using the Wimbledon app.
Periscope, the live video streaming app, will also bring fans closer to the action with behind-the-scenes footage provided by GoPro, including players warming up on the courts and insights from Tim Henman.
Alexandra Willis, head of digital at the All England Club, which was founded in 1868, said: “Being able to offer additional content for our fans, both at Wimbledon and around the world, on Twitter, is extremely valuable.”
Twitter’s Head of Sport, Alex Trickett, added: “With so much incredible action happening both on and off the court, we want to ensure that you don't miss a moment. Video on Twitter has soared in popularity in the past year, with the likes of Periscope and Vine key to give tennis fans exclusive, real-time access.
“Whether you're lucky enough to have a ticket to Centre Court or are following from afar, Twitter will be an essential part of the experience all fortnight long. We're delighted to be partnering with Wimbledon to put the average fan at the heart of the action like never before.”
