Wimbledon Embraces Video Review System This Season.
The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the right to question certain rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the system already in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
