Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to challenge certain calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
