The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the right to challenge particular decisions made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system 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 will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
