Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to challenge certain rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology 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 hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC implemented ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent example took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
