London, UK, Friday 28 June 2024: The All England Lawn Tennis Club has announced its first ever official esports tournament with the Wimbledon eChamps presented by American Express, Official Partner of The Championships since 2019. The eChamps will be the first tennis esports tournament using TopSpin 2K25, a revival of the beloved tennis simulation video game series.

The eChamps will begin with open qualifiers, allowing eligible TopSpin 2K25 players to work their way up the rankings and attempt to qualify for the live in-person finals, to be held at Wimbledon in September. The qualifiers will run across four countries in Europe, as well as North America, covering UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Canada and the US. Players can register for the tournament from today (28 June) with qualifying matches starting from 6 July.

Qualifiers will have the chance to face off at the home of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament, with the in-person finals taking place in the Media Theatre at Wimbledon. There they will compete for the honour of being the first ever Wimbledon eChampion and also for the opportunity to return with an all-expenses paid trip to the Gentlemen’s Singles Final in 2025*. In addition, the winner will receive a unique gold-plated PlayStation 5 console, which will have their name and historic achievement etched into it by Wimbledon’s official engraver.

Usama Al-Qassab, Marketing & Commercial Director for the All England Club, commented: “Over the years Wimbledon has witnessed many historic firsts. We are excited that this year, alongside our partners American Express, we will be adding to this with the first ever Wimbledon eChamps. The arrival of TopSpin 2K25, provided the perfect opportunity for us to create this exciting esports tournament and we cannot wait to welcome the qualifiers to Wimbledon in September.”

Shiz Suzuki, VP Global Brand Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing at American Express, said: “It’s important for Amex to continue to show up in innovative ways where our Card Members are, which includes the world of sports gaming. We’re thrilled to expand our presence in gaming culture, working closely with our partners at the All England Club to be part of the Wimbledon eChamps, bringing fans an exciting new way to immerse themselves in Wimbledon.”

The Wimbledon eChamps presented by American Express is being run by BLAST, the esports producers behind some of the world’s biggest tournaments. BLAST works with world-leading game publishers and brands to elevate their properties in amazing esports experiences.

*Full tournament rules can be viewed here