Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes will gain the ability to question certain decisions made by the chair umpire, echoing the system currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system 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 hosting singles matches.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
