The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review systems will be launched at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the right to challenge certain calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move comes just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
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 bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
