Wimbledon Embraces Video Replay System This Season.
The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the option to contest specific rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the practice currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
