Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to contest specific calls from the official, mirroring the practice currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
