Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes are granted the option to challenge certain calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
