Wimbledon Adopts Video Review Technology This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest specific calls made by the official, echoing the practice already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.