Wimbledon Embraces Video Replay System This Season.

Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.

Athletes will gain the option to contest specific rulings made by the chair umpire, following the practice already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.

This technology will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.

This move comes just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line judges.

What Can Be Reviewed?

Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, such as:

• Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
• If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
• Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.

Notably, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.

Case in Point

A recent example took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.

Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."

Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.

Wider Implementation

Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.

Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.

Further Updates

Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.

This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.

Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.