Wimbledon Adopts Video Review System for the First Time.

Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.

Athletes will gain the ability to challenge specific calls made by the chair umpire, echoing the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.

The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.

This step comes just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.

Reviewable Decisions

Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, such as:

• If a ball has double-bounced.
• If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
• Possible hindrance end of a rally.

Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can request.

Case in Point

An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.

The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."

The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.

Wider Implementation

Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.

Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.

Additional Innovations

A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.

This solves situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.

In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.