Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors will gain the ability to question particular decisions made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development comes just a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted 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 men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
