Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to contest certain calls made by the official, echoing the protocol already in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, 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 tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
