In recent times the tennis federations have really stepped up.
The first of half of the 2020s saw Covid-19, bringing the world to a standstill. With no concerts, cinema, sports matches to attend, everyone needed entertaining.
In tennis, the Federations surprised us, doing something I never thought would happen. The release of archive matches. This was incredible for a number of reasons. Since YouTube became a thing in 2006, and purchased by Google in 2007, a battle royale with copyright ensued. Enthusiasts upload important matches of their favorite players in choppy VHS tapes; Federations claim copyright and matches get removed. An ongoing battle between tennis fans and authorities which still rages today.
I always thought this unfair because my contention is that tennis players play for the public. Without the public paying through the turnstiles and millions watching via television (and streaming) there is no spectacle and no pro sport. When enthusiasts put matches from their own collection on YouTube, with no other footage available, why take it down?
Sports fans were getting a raw deal. That all changed in the spring of 2020. When, out of the blue, the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open channels began pouring out archive footage. From the source tapes, in exceptional picture quality instead of chewed up video tapes. Matches we thought we would never see. Grand slam finals, semifinals, quarterfinals; 1st round matches and 2nd round matches. The French Open channel released the famous 1984 final between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl (1.5 million views and counting). The US Open released the 2001 epic quarterfinal between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi (1.5 million views and counting). Australian Open and Wimbledon also released many great matches from their collection.
As the pandemic wore off, the US Open and Australian Open channels went into overdrive. They loved the idea of releasing as much footage as possible whilst seeing discussions of the players in the comments section. For instance how players from past eras match up to today’s tennis and conditions/surfaces. After all, it can only be a good thing, and fuels the discussions about the greatest players. Plus the younger generation get to see what the former legends were all about. In fact, young pros on the ATP and WTA Tour check out the videos of their heroes. They get to watch legends they heard about but were not around to see them play.
We are in May 2025 and so far since January the US Open and USTA (United States Tennis Association) channels released: 1995 men’s semifinal, 1995 men’s final, 1996 men’s final, 1996 ladies final, 1998 men’s semifinal, 2009 ladies semifinal. Plus, US Open and USTA continue to release a number of early round matches–matches of Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, and Victoria Azarenka, among other great players.
The Australian Open channel, not to be outdone, is releasing a lot of matches from the 2025 tournament, in addition to classic Australian Open finals from the 1980s and 1990s.
And Wimbledon YouTube channel?
Wimbledon has not published a single archive match since July 2020–whether full matches or extended highlights. In July 2023 I contacted Wimbledon, to see if they would be interested in releasing archive matches. After a short query, I was forwarded to the Communications team. There I inquired whether Wimbledon was intending to release more archive matches. The Communications team advised that it was the Digital Team who put all content on YouTube. Therefore I would be passed to them.
After not hearing anything for two to three weeks, I attempted to contact the Digital Team myself. Initially I left my phone number and email address for someone to contact me to discuss further. That didn’t come to fruition, so I tried again. Invariably after speaking to reception, I would be informed they were in a meeting and someone would email me. This went on until January 2024. At that point it was clear the Digital Team are not interested in discussing the release of archive matches.
I didn’t think about this for another twelve months as I was enjoying the deluge of content released by US Open and Australian Open YouTube channels. It is incredible their generosity and they must be congratulated and thanked. This motivated the two Federations to release more content and special documentaries on players past and present.
In March this year I decided to give it another try. I sent an email forwarded via reception for the attention of Tim Henman. Tim Henman is a member of the Wimbledon Committee, which takes decisions on all things Wimbledon. Henman is an ex-player who played during two momentous eras (1990s and 2000s). I thought he would be a good person to gauge Wimbledon’s thinking on important archive matches to the public. So far? No response…
I have no idea why Wimbledon refuses to release anything. And I mean anything. The Communications Team did engage but they were being professional and did a good job; the query was out of their remit. Only Wimbledon can explain why there are literally hundreds of incredible matches stuck in their vaults. It also appears the positive actions of Australian Open and US Open channels have zero effect on their policy.
A pity because Wimbledon is in a unique position. It is a private club, but at the same time a public organisation. A public organisation usually has different aims and responsibilities. In this scenario the instincts of the private club take over, as they feel no need to engage with little old me, because they can’t be asked.
On the other hand, the US Open and Australian Open are run in conjunction with their Federations. The remit is wholly different; this is reflected in their outlook on releasing archive matches to the public. After all, tennis players play for the public.
Will any archive matches get released by Wimbledon in future? Will Wimbledon matches uploaded by enthusiasts on ropey VHS tapes continue to get taken down, citing copyright?
As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Releasing archives instead of hiding it away from the public (for no real reason) would make millions of tennis fans very happy.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
