Wimbledon Adopts Video Challenge Technology for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the right to contest particular decisions made by the chair umpire, following the protocol already in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 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.
