Wimbledon Adopts Video Replay Technology This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors will gain the right to contest certain calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
