Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the right to challenge certain rulings made by the official, following the protocol currently in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It 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 next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
