Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Athletes are granted the ability to contest particular decisions made by the official, mirroring the protocol already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
