The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to contest certain calls from the official, mirroring the practice currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
