Wimbledon Adopts Video Review Technology for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the option to question certain rulings from the official, mirroring the protocol currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
