The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to question particular decisions from the chair umpire, following the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
