Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Players are granted the right to contest certain calls from the chair umpire, following the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
