Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to question particular rulings from the chair umpire, following the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
