Wimbledon Embraces Video Challenge Technology in 2025.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors are granted the right to contest specific rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the practice currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon 2025 will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
