Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the ability to challenge particular calls made by the official, echoing the protocol currently in use at each of the US Open 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 other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
