The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to question certain rulings made by the chair umpire, following the protocol currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step follows just a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
