Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes are granted the right to question specific decisions from the official, echoing the practice already in place at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It 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 plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
