Wimbledon Adopts Video Challenge Technology for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the option to question particular calls made by the official, following the protocol currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
