Wimbledon Introduces Video Review Technology for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Athletes are granted the option to question certain decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
