Wimbledon Adopts Video Review System for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the right to challenge specific rulings made by the official, mirroring the protocol already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
