Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to contest specific rulings made by the chair umpire, following the practice already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
