Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to contest certain calls from the chair umpire, echoing the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined the player was guilty of interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
