The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest certain rulings made by the official, mirroring the protocol currently in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open 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 plans to have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
