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Why is the Australian Open using cartoon players?

Left-hand-side: Alex de Minaur strikes a tennis ball
Right-hand-side: The cartoon version of Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur's win over Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp was available to watch on YouTube in an animated format [Getty Images]

The tennis balls are unusually large, players' heads are out of proportion and the racquets they are holding sometimes seem to drift away from their hands.

But the scores are spot on.

This cartoon is the Australian Open's free-to-watch version of the live action taking place at Melbourne Park.

How has this come about?

What's going on?

The Australian Open's official YouTube channel 'live' option brings up a choice of ongoing matches to watch, featuring animated players on a virtual court.

They have real, human-voice commentary on top and the animation mirrors what is happening on court - even going as far as including racquet-smashing episodes, as well as the rallies.

Why am I watching cartoon characters?

Tennis Australia told BBC Sport the aim is to "captivate a new generation of tennis fans, making the sport more accessible and engaging, particularly for kids and families".

Having this animated form is giving people the chance to watch a 'live' version, even if they don't have various TV subscriptions.

In the UK, for example, the Australian Open is broadcast by Eurosport, which requires a subscription.

A free-to-watch YouTube stream may also help appeal to younger audiences.

Have we seen this before?

Yes. In fact, the Australian Open debuted this technology at the tournament last year.

Other sports have also started exploring the intersect between live sport and the virtual world.

In December last year, the National Football League (NFL) teamed up with Disney+ and ESPN+ to show a real-time animated game featuring the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys. The players became characters from The Simpsons in a game re-created using Hawk-Eye technology.

Live, animated National Hockey League (NHL) games have also been broadcast, modelling characters on Disney Channel's animated series "Big City Greens".

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