Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the right to contest particular calls from the official, mirroring the system already in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
