Wimbledon Taps DJ Hudson Mohawke to Create a Soundtrack for the Tournament

The All England Lawn Tennis Club is hoping to attract new fans for The Wimbledon Championships, which kicks off its qualifying competition on June 26, by dropping a soundtrack for the tournament.

In a new marketing tactic for Wimbledon, the music from hip-hop and electronic producer Hudson Mohawke, with vocals from GiGi Grombacher, will be available on streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify on June 28. The track is part of a campaign created by agency McCann London.

“We’re seeing a new wave of legends define history in the tennis world, and I wanted to make a soundtrack that reflected this juncture and the tantalizing mood that comes with it,” Mohawke said in a statement. “I’ve used terms such as ‘fearless,’ ‘strong,’ ‘stand my ground’ and ‘holding on’ in the vocals, to echo the nature of competitive sport and just how hungry this next generation of stars is for success.”

Mohawke’s soundtrack debuted on June 12 in a minute-long trailer titled “Always Like Never Before.” Using imagery similar to movie trailers and posters, the film combines photographs, archival footage, 2D illustration, 3D animation and CGI to portray big moments from the competition’s history.

The trailer starts with shots of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, but most of the focus is on the sport’s rising stars. Animated smoke comes off a ball hit by Ons Jabeur, the first Arab woman to reach the Wimbledon final, who is depicted in an illustrated “Trailblazers” poster. Elena Rybakina’s racquet seems to catch fire before she appears alongside Novak Djokovic in a “Champions to Beat” poster.

“Fans know they can always rely on Wimbledon to deliver: from immaculate grass to awe-inspiring tennis, nothing stands still,” McCann London’s creative directors, Matt Searle and Olly Wood, said in a statement. “Greats of the game will bid farewell, but there is always new talent rising to seize the mantle.”

The film will appear across digital, social, out-of-home and broadcast channels in the coming weeks. The posters in the trailer will also be used in a social campaign focusing on building a new global audience for the competition.

“You just need to watch one episode of Netflix’s Break Point to understand that we’re at a pivotal moment in tennis,” Wimbledon’s marketing and commercial director, Usama Al-Qassab, said in a statement. “We’re blessed with a raft of new players coming through the ranks, full of passion and hunger, and ready to make their mark on the tour.”