Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes are granted the ability to contest certain rulings made by the chair umpire, following the practice already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
