Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to challenge specific calls made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move follows just a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
