Wimbledon Adopts Video Review System This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to contest specific rulings made by the official, echoing the system already in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
