Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the ability to question certain rulings from the official, echoing the protocol already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
