Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the right to question specific rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the practice currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
