Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the ability to question specific decisions made by the chair umpire, following the system already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
