Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the option to challenge particular rulings made by the chair umpire, following the protocol already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
