Wimbledon Introduces Video Review Technology for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the right to contest particular calls made by the official, echoing the system currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 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 occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
