Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes are granted the option to contest particular decisions made by the chair umpire, following the protocol already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
