Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to question certain rulings from the chair umpire, following the system currently in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent example took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
