Wimbledon Adopts Video Replay Technology This Season.
The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to question certain rulings made by the chair umpire, following the protocol already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
