Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the option to question specific decisions made by the chair umpire, following the system already in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a season following the All England Club rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
