Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes are granted the ability to question certain calls made by the chair umpire, following the protocol already in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
