The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the right to contest certain decisions made by the official, following the practice currently in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon 2025 will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
