Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to challenge specific rulings made by the chair umpire, following the protocol already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
