Wimbledon Embraces Video Review Technology This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the option to question certain rulings made by the official, following the protocol already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
A recent example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
