London: Video review technology will be introduced for the first time at the Wimbledon Championships this year, allowing players to challenge specific decisions made by the chair umpire, similar to systems already in use at the US Open and Australian Open.
The system will be available on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships, as well as on the other four show courts when they host singles matches.
This development follows last year’s introduction of electronic line calling (ELC) by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which replaced traditional line judges after 147 years.
While players will not be able to challenge the accuracy of ELC decisions, they can request reviews for specific situations, such as whether a ball bounced twice or made contact with an opponent’s racquet or body.
No request limit
There will be no limit on the number of reviews a player can request. Players can also ask for a review at the end of a point if they believe their opponent committed a hindrance, defined as any action or noise that distracts or interferes with play.
A recent example of the system in action came at Indian Wells, where Daniil Medvedev used a review against Jack Draper after Draper briefly stretched his arms during a rally to indicate a shot was out.
Umpire Aurelie Tourte reviewed the footage on a tablet and ruled Draper guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev. Draper later described it as a difficult call but said that Medvedev had ‘played the rules quite well,’ adding he did not feel his gesture was enough to cause distraction.
Video review has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025. It is also becoming more common across the women’s WTA Tour, with the men’s ATP Tour set to implement the technology across all events by next season.
Another change at Wimbledon this year will see the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls produced by ELC. This follows instances where spectators were unsure whether a ball was in or out. At the Australian Open, similar technology used red lights on net posts to signal when a ball was out, providing clearer visual cues for fans.
With exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Wimbledon Championships, the All England Club has also confirmed that capacity at the Roehampton qualifying event will increase from 3,500 to 4,000 spectators per day.
MOST READ | Cyclone Narelle eases but flooding threatens Queensland
