Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to challenge certain decisions from the chair umpire, following the system already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use 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 implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been unsure if a shot was in or out.
In other news, 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.
