Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the right to challenge particular decisions from the official, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
