Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the right to contest particular rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club introduced ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
