Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to contest particular calls from the official, mirroring the protocol already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
