Wimbledon Introduces Video Challenge System This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the option to contest particular decisions from the official, mirroring the system currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells 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 "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships 2025 involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
