Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the option to contest certain decisions made by the official, following the protocol already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It 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 the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
