Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to challenge specific decisions made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
