Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the right to challenge particular calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted 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 next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
