Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to question specific rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the practice currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major 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 men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
