The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the option to challenge specific decisions from the official, mirroring the practice currently in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
