In today's digital age, attending live sports events may feel somewhat outdated, as does watching the action unfold on traditional screens like TVs, laptops, or phones. The Australian Open is embracing a contemporary trend in the sports industry by transforming tennis matches into video game simulations.

This year's first Grand Slam tournament, which continues until January 26, is offering real-time animated streams on its YouTube channel that replicate the events occurring in the three primary stadiums.

Players are depicted as characters reminiscent of those from a Wii game—while they may not be exact replicas of athletes like Coco Gauff or Novak Djokovic, the graphics strive to accurately represent their outfit colors, hats, and bandanas, all while reflecting the ongoing match with a slight one-point delay.

“Sometimes I think it’s a very accurate (depiction) of the actual player that’s playing. So it’s weird. It’s funny and weird,” said 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, who will face Gauff in the third round Friday. “I did not see myself just yet. Maybe I will. Now I’m curious, because I’ve seen different players ... and I think I want to watch myself, too.”

Tennis Australia developed its own unique "skins" to symbolize players, chair umpires, and ball persons.

“The wonderful part of it is it’s the players’ actual movement. It’s the actual trajectory of the ball,” Machar Reid, Tennis Australia’s director of innovation, told The Associated Press. “We’re taking the real into the unreal. That’s part of the magic.”

Carlos Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion at just 21 years old, referred to it as “a good alternative.”

Like many athletes preparing for upcoming matches, Fernandez frequently searches YouTube for footage of previous games to assist with her scouting efforts. With a laugh, she recounted how she stumbled upon the amusing animated replays from Melbourne Park that have been generating excitement among players.

While trying to locate a specific match, she noticed a thumbnail featuring two players, Fernandez explained.

“So I click on it and think, ’This is it! Finally! I have one,’” Fernandez said. “Nope. It’s a Wii character, which is hilarious.”

Jiri Lehecka, a Czech player seeded 24th in Australia, was browsing social media recently when he encountered a “replay” of 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev’s avatar smashing a net camera repeatedly with his racket during a first-round match.

“I had no idea that something like that exists, so for me, it was quite funny to see that,” Lehecka said. “Maybe I will see myself as a game character one day. We will see.”

To have that opportunity, he will need to compete in Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, or John Cain Arena. Tennis Australia initially tested this concept on one court during last year’s tournament, aiming to engage gamers and a younger demographic with the sport.

The NFL, NBA, and NHL have also explored similar strategies, utilizing animation for alternative game broadcasts.

The 2024 launch in Melbourne “was somewhat under the radar and didn’t quite capture global attention. However, this year, we’ve witnessed a shift,” Reid noted.