Wimbledon Adopts Video Challenge System This Season.
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.
Players are granted the right to challenge particular calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
