Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to contest certain decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move follows just a season following the AELTC implemented ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use 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 men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
