Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the right to challenge particular rulings from the official, echoing the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
