Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes will gain the right to contest specific decisions made by the official, following the practice already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
