Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Players are granted the ability to contest particular calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
