The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the option to contest certain rulings from the official, following the system already in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development comes just a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to review specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
