Wimbledon Adopts Video Review System in 2025.
The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the right to contest specific calls made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative 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 situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
