Wimbledon Embraces Video Review System in 2025.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest specific decisions made by the official, echoing the system already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
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 contests.
This step follows just a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
