Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors will gain the ability to question particular rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the practice already in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
