Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to question specific decisions from the chair umpire, following the protocol already in use at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
