The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the option to contest certain rulings made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common 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
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
