Wimbledon Embraces Video Replay Technology This Season.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to question specific decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development arrives only a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
