Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the option to question particular decisions made by the chair umpire, following the protocol currently in use 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 tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
