The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors will gain the ability to challenge particular calls from the chair umpire, following the system already in place at both the American Grand Slam 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 staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to review specific decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships 2025 will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
