Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the right to challenge specific rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
