Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the ability to challenge specific calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling 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 remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
