Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the right to question certain calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.