Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to challenge specific decisions made by the official, echoing the system currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled the player was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
