Wimbledon Adopts Video Replay System This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to question particular calls made by the chair umpire, echoing the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
