Wimbledon Adopts Video Review System for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to contest particular rulings from the official, mirroring the system already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open since 2025.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.