Wimbledon Introduces Video Replay Technology in 2025.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the right to challenge particular rulings from the chair umpire, following the system currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
