Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Players are granted the ability to challenge specific decisions made by the chair umpire, following the protocol currently in place at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
