The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to question specific rulings from the chair umpire, following the protocol already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational 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 comes just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
