Wimbledon Embraces Video Replay System for the First Time.

Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.

Athletes will gain the ability to question certain calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.

This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.

This development follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line judges.

Scope of Challenges

Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other decisions, including:

• If a ball has double-bounced.
• If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
• Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.

Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.

A Recent Example

An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.

Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."

The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.

Wider Implementation

This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.

Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.

Further Updates

A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.

This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.

Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.