Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the ability to contest specific rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in use 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 tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
