Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to challenge specific calls from the official, echoing the protocol currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult 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, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
