Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the ability to question specific rulings made by the chair umpire, following the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
