Wimbledon Introduces Video Challenge System for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the option to contest certain calls made by the official, following the protocol already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells 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 "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
