Wimbledon Embraces Video Challenge Technology for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the right to contest certain calls made by the chair umpire, following the practice already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
