Wimbledon Embraces Video Review System for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the option to contest particular decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships 2025 involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
