Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to question particular calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation 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 staging singles matches.
This development comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to 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 WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
