Wimbledon Embraces Video Replay System This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the ability to question certain rulings from the official, echoing the system currently in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
