Wimbledon Introduces Video Review Technology for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the right to contest specific calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
