Wimbledon Introduces Video Challenge Technology for the First Time.
The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to contest particular calls from the official, mirroring the system already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
