Wimbledon Embraces Video Review Technology This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the ability to contest certain calls made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC implemented ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
