Wimbledon Adopts Video Review Technology for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to question certain calls made by the official, echoing the system already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club introduced ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
