The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes are granted the right to challenge specific decisions from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to review other situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted 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 men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
