Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the option to contest specific decisions made by the official, echoing the system already in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
