Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the option to contest specific decisions made by the official, following the protocol currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
