The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the right to question specific calls from the chair umpire, echoing the practice already in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
