Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to contest certain rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
