Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the right to contest particular decisions made by the official, echoing the protocol currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.