Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Players are granted the right to contest certain rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use 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 development arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
