Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest certain decisions from the chair umpire, following the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
