Due to not having the broadcast rights, the players appear as cartoon versions of themselves on the YouTube stream of the Australian Open TV channel.

Even in this world, the whole concept is a blast—fingers (and fully rendered clothes, unfortunately) be damned. You can see it for yourself on the Australian Open’s YouTube channel, with matches running through January 26.

The Australian Open, the first big professional tennis tournament of 2025, is happening right now in Melbourne. But depending on where you live or whether you have access to cable or not, it’s very possible that you can’t easily or freely watch matches.

If you’re tuning into the 2025 Australian Open, you may notice something very, very weird about the players on the court if you’re watching matches on YouTube. They look like they’re straight out of a video game, like Wii Tennis. The players’ bodies and faces have been replaced with Miis, basically. What gives?

The Australian Open is live streaming an alternative Wii Tennis-style broadcast during this year’s Grand Slam tournament on YouTube. The move, which has left some spectators baffled, appears to be a clever way of getting around broadcasting restrictions at Melbourne Park.