Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Players will gain the option to contest specific calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court 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 comes just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. 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 men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
