Wimbledon Adopts Video Review System for the First Time.
Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to question certain rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation 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 hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge 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 video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
