Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to challenge particular decisions made by the official, following the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
