Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the option to challenge specific decisions from the chair umpire, following the system already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
