Wimbledon’s main draw is just around the corner, and the buzz in the tennis world is growing louder by the minute. Whether it’s Novak Djokovic chasing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title and hoping to tie Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon crowns, or Carlos Alcaraz looking to stamp his authority with a three-peat, the men’s field is heating up. On the women’s side, things are just as intense. Aryna Sabalenka has unfinished business after her French Open exit, and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova will want to show that her surprise win was no one-off. The stage is set, and the grass is calling. And Wimbledon is already making some much-needed changes. Let’s find out what they are!
Before the stars roll in, Wimbledon is rolling out some big changes this year. The most historic one? No more line judges.For the first time in its 148-year history, there will be no line judges on court. That’s right, those smartly dressed figures crouching near the lines are gone this year. Instead, Wimbledon will now rely entirely on electronic line calling, just like the Australian Open and the US Open. That makes the French Open the last of the four Grand Slams to still use traditional line judging, helped by the clay’s ability to show clear ball marks. Wimbledon’s officiating team is also shrinking. The usual pool of 300 line judges has been trimmed down to 80 match assistants. Two of them will be assigned to every court, not to make calls, but to help umpires with other on-court tasks and serve as backup if the electronic system fails.
For the first time ever, the Wimbledon scorebug is displaying the exact score of previous sets – and seeds!
Welcome to the future. pic.twitter.com/dGC8WgPPzL
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) June 24, 2025
Another update is something fans have been asking about for a while. Since 2004, Wimbledon’s broadcast scorebug only showed the name of the player who won the previous set, not the actual score of that set. That’s finally changing. In 2025, fans watching at home will get to see the exact scorelines of each completed set, plus player seedings. It’s a small tweak, but one that brings Wimbledon in line with other major events.
The tournament is also dishing out bigger paychecks than ever before. This year’s prize money pool stands at £53.5 million ($72.7 million), a seven percent increase from 2024. That’s more than double what was offered just ten years ago.
Each singles champion will take home a cool £3 million ($4.1 million), which is the most offered by any Grand Slam so far this season. That figure marks an 11.1 percent jump from last year’s winner’s purse. The US Open hasn’t revealed its 2025 numbers yet, but Wimbledon is setting a high bar.
While the main draw begins next week, the qualifying rounds have already kicked off.
Key Wimbledon qualifying results on Monday
As all eyes turn to the main event, the action has already started in south-west London. The Wimbledon qualifying rounds kicked off on Monday at Roehampton, and plenty of players made a strong opening statement.
Next Gen stars made early statements. Alexander Blockx, 20 years old and sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, got off to a flying start by beating Facundo Mena 7-5, 6-1. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, the 2024 boys’ singles champ at SW19, defeated Bai Yan 7-6(3), 6-2.
The seasoned pros didn’t stay quiet either. Top seed Marton Fucsovics cruised past Jurij Rodionov 6-4, 6-3. And Cristian Garin, a 2022 quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, handled Francesco Maestrelli 6-3, 6-4 to keep his campaign alive.
The draw for the main event will be out this Friday.
That’s when we’ll finally know who plays who, and what the road to the trophy will look like. New rules, more money, and rising stars, Wimbledon 2025 is shaping up to be one for the books. Who will rule the grass this year?
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