Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the option to contest specific decisions made by the official, following the practice currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use 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 men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
