Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to contest specific calls from the chair umpire, echoing the system currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to 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 all of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
