Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the ability to question particular decisions made by the official, following the protocol currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
