The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the right to contest specific decisions from the chair umpire, following the protocol currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
