Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the right to question particular decisions made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
