The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the right to challenge specific decisions from the official, mirroring the system currently in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
