Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to contest specific calls from the official, mirroring the system already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
