The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors will gain the right to contest specific calls from the official, following the practice currently in use at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
