Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors are granted the ability to question certain decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for 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 the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
