Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to challenge specific rulings made by the official, following the practice currently in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was guilty of interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships 2025 involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
