The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the option to question particular calls made by the chair umpire, echoing the system currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon 2025 involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
