Wimbledon Embraces Video Challenge System in 2025.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the right to challenge particular decisions made by the official, following the practice already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of 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 rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, 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 becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
