Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to challenge particular calls made by the official, following the protocol already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge 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 watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
