Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to question particular decisions from the official, echoing the system currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, 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 The Championships 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
