Wimbledon Introduces Video Challenge Technology for the First Time.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon for the 2025 edition.
Competitors are granted the right to challenge certain decisions made by the official, echoing the practice currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon 2025 will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
