Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to question particular decisions from the official, mirroring the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review specific situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
