Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to challenge particular decisions from the chair umpire, following the protocol already in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
