Wimbledon Adopts Video Replay System in 2025.
The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors are granted the option to question specific calls made by the official, echoing the practice already in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a season following the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent example took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open 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 ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
