Wimbledon Adopts Video Challenge Technology This Season.
The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the ability to contest particular rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use 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 the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
