Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to challenge certain rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
