Wimbledon Introduces Video Replay Technology for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Players are granted the right to challenge specific calls from the chair umpire, echoing the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
