Wimbledon Embraces Video Review Technology in 2025.
The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the option to challenge certain rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting 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 Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
