The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the right to contest specific rulings from the official, echoing the system currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
