Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the right to question certain calls made by the official, following the practice already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a player can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
