Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review systems will be launched at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes are granted the option to contest certain rulings made by the official, following the practice already in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
