Wimbledon Introduces Video Review System for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the right to challenge specific decisions made by the official, mirroring the practice already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
