Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the ability to question specific rulings from the official, echoing the protocol currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the All England Club introduced ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
