The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Competitors will gain the right to question specific calls from the chair umpire, following the practice currently in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian 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.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
