Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the ability to question particular calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
