Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the ability to challenge particular rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club introduced ELC, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where fans 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 capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
