Wimbledon Embraces Video Challenge System This Season.
The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the option to question particular rulings made by the chair umpire, following the system currently in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 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 video reviews in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
