Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to challenge particular decisions from the chair umpire, following the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
