Wimbledon Adopts Video Challenge Technology This Season.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the right to contest specific rulings from the chair umpire, following the protocol already in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step follows just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.