Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the option to question particular decisions from the official, echoing the practice already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for 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 Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
