Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the ability to challenge particular decisions from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
