Wimbledon Embraces Video Review Technology This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the option to question certain rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
