Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the right to challenge specific rulings from the chair umpire, echoing the system currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible 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 follows just a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent example took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
