The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the option to question specific rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step comes just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
