Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the right to challenge particular calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
