Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to contest particular calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
