The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to contest certain rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted 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 ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
