Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors are granted the ability to contest specific calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
