Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest specific decisions from the official, following the system already in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
