Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes will gain the option to contest certain decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
