Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to challenge certain rulings from the official, echoing the protocol already in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
