Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to challenge specific calls from the official, echoing the protocol currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
