Wimbledon Embraces Video Challenge System This Season.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to challenge particular decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge 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."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.