Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes are granted the right to question specific calls made by the chair umpire, following the practice already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
