Wimbledon Introduces Video Challenge System in 2025.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to question certain calls made by the official, following the practice already in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
A recent case took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
