Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes will gain the ability to challenge certain decisions from the chair umpire, following the system already in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
