The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes will gain the option to question certain decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
