The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes will gain the ability to question particular calls made by the chair umpire, following the system currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a season following the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
