Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the right to challenge specific rulings made by the official, following the practice currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
