Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to contest particular decisions made by the official, echoing the practice already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
A recent incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
