The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the option to challenge certain calls from the chair umpire, echoing the practice already in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another change 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 fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
