Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the right to contest specific calls made by the official, mirroring the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
