Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes are granted the ability to contest specific decisions made by the official, mirroring the protocol already in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament recently, 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 "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
