The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to challenge particular rulings from the official, mirroring the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system 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 in place at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
