Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to challenge certain rulings made by the official, echoing the protocol already in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
