Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to contest specific decisions made by the official, echoing the protocol already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years 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 video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
