Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the right to contest certain decisions made by the chair umpire, following the protocol already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It 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 next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
