Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Competitors are granted the option to contest particular rulings made by the official, following the protocol currently in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which terminated the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
