Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the ability to challenge particular decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
