Wimbledon Embraces Video Replay System for the First Time.
The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the ability to challenge particular calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.