Wimbledon Embraces Video Review Technology This Season.
The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Competitors will gain the right to question particular decisions made by the official, echoing the protocol currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system 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 ATP circuit will have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
