Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to contest particular calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move follows just a year after the All England Club introduced ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
