Wimbledon Embraces Video Review Technology This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the ability to contest particular rulings from the official, mirroring the system currently in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
