Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the option to contest particular decisions made by the official, mirroring the protocol already in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
