Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the right to challenge specific calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
