Wimbledon Adopts Video Replay System for the First Time.
The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the option to contest certain rulings from the official, echoing the system currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
