Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the right to question certain decisions from the official, echoing the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use 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 will have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
