Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes are granted the option to challenge specific calls from the official, mirroring the system already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major 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 men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
