Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the option to challenge specific calls from the chair umpire, following the system currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian 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 tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
