Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to contest particular rulings made by the chair umpire, following the system already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
