Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest certain rulings made by the official, following the protocol already in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted 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 video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
