Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the right to challenge particular decisions from the official, echoing the system currently in place at both the US Open 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 remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club introduced ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 involves 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 if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
