Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to contest certain decisions made by the chair umpire, following the system currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
