Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Players will gain the ability to contest particular rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in place at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use 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 contests.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
