Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to question certain decisions from the chair umpire, following the practice currently in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It 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 the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
