Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to question particular rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent example took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
