The Big Lead

Wii Sports characters steal the show at the Australian Open (WATCH)

Tennis might have found a new wy to gain more viewers after several viral moments.

By Matt Reed

Jan 13, 2025; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan shake hands during their match in the first round of the men's singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2025; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan shake hands during their match in the first round of the men's singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images / Mike Frey-Imagn Images
facebooktwitter

The Australian Open doesn't typically have the same buzz as other tennis majors. Whether that's because it takes place in January or there's a massive time difference between Australia and many foreign countries, this year's event has been different through the first couple of days.

However, the growing attention of the 2025 edition of the Australian Open hasn't been because of the on-court play, but instead the highlight videos the tournament has been posting on its social media pages.

Like many sporting events, the Australian Open doesn't actually have the broadcasting rights to post content during or after matches. It's a weird concept considering they're the ones hosting the event, but in this case it's actually worked out in their favor.

This year, someone decided to post the match highlights using Wii Sports tennis characters and a giant ball that's easier for viewers to follow instead of the likenesses of the actual players competing in the tournament.

RELATED: Is the TGL shot clock the future of pro golf?

By far the funniest clip that's been posted so far came from Daniil Medvedev's opening-round match, where he had a blow up moment after smashing his racquet. The Wii Sports version took it to a whole different level of entertainment.

While it isn't quite the same without seeing the faces of top stars like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz when catching up on the matches from the previous night, the Australian Open might actually be onto something with this new highlights trend.

MORE TOP STORIES from The Big Lead
NBA: Is Dame Time almost done?
CFB/NFL: Deion to Dallas?
NFL: Latest consensus Mock Draft
CFB: Ohio State-Notre Dame National Championship preview

Home/Tennis