Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the option to question certain decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent case took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
