Wimbledon Introduces Video Replay Technology for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to contest particular rulings made by the official, echoing the practice currently in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to review other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
