Wimbledon Adopts Video Review Technology This Season.
The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Players are granted the option to challenge certain decisions made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol already in place at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
