Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the right to challenge specific calls made by the official, echoing the system currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie 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 plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
