Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the ability to challenge certain calls made by the official, following the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
