Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the ability to challenge certain calls made by the official, following the protocol already in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, including:
- Whether a 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 point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't 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 next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
