The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the option to contest particular calls from the official, mirroring the protocol already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
