The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the ability to challenge certain rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to review specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
