Wimbledon Adopts Video Replay Technology for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to question specific decisions made by the official, echoing the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
