The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the right to question particular rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
