Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the ability to contest particular calls made by the official, following the system already in use 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 tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
