Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the option to contest particular calls from the official, mirroring the practice already in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
