Wimbledon Adopts Video Review Technology for the First Time.
The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the right to challenge particular decisions from the chair umpire, following the system already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible 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 year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system 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 viewed a replay and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon 2025 involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
