Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the option to question certain rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the practice already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent example took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, 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.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
