Wimbledon Embraces Video Challenge System This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Competitors will gain the right to contest particular calls from the chair umpire, following the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.