Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the ability to question certain decisions from the chair umpire, following the protocol currently in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
