Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to contest certain rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use 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 plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
