Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review systems will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the option to question certain calls made by the official, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open 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 ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
