Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay 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 chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships 2025 involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
