Wimbledon Introduces Video Review System for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the option to contest certain decisions made by the chair umpire, echoing the practice already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent example took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 2025 involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
