Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the option to contest certain calls made by the official, echoing the practice currently in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development comes just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent example took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
