Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the ability to question particular decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
