Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the option to contest specific calls made by the official, following the practice already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
