Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors are granted the ability to challenge specific calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the official to review other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
