Wimbledon Embraces Video Replay Technology in 2025.
The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Athletes are granted the ability to question particular calls made by the official, following the protocol already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
