Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to challenge specific rulings from the chair umpire, following the system currently in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
