The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to question certain decisions from the chair umpire, echoing the system currently in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
