Wimbledon Adopts Video Review System for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the right to question specific rulings from the chair umpire, following the protocol currently in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
