Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to question certain calls made by the official, mirroring the system currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
