The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to question certain rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
Case in Point
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open since 2025.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
