Wimbledon Introduces Video Challenge System in 2025.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the option to challenge particular calls made by the official, mirroring the practice currently in operation at each of the US Open 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 other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. 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 next season the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
