Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the right to challenge particular rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol already 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 featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews 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 men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
