Wimbledon to implement video review technology for the first time
Wimbledon will deploy video review technology for the first time at this year’s Championships, the All England Club confirmed on Saturday, reports BritPanorama.
The system allows competitors to contest specific judgment calls made by chair umpires, including double bounces, racket or body touches, and hindrance incidents.
Six show courts will feature the technology, with Centre Court and Court One offering reviews throughout the tournament. The remaining four show courts will have the capability during singles matches.
This marks another significant technological advancement for the oldest Grand Slam, which only last year adopted electronic line calling, ending 147 years of human line judges. Players face no restrictions on the number of reviews they may request during matches, allowing unlimited opportunities to challenge umpire decisions.
Competitors can seek reviews in two scenarios: immediately when play stops following a point-ending call or directly after a point concludes if they believe hindrance occurred. However, the accuracy of the electronic line calling system itself cannot be challenged through this new review process.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club stated that players may challenge calls such as “not-up,” “foul shot,” and “touch” under the new framework. The review system was recently demonstrated at Indian Wells, where Daniil Medvedev successfully challenged Jack Draper for hindrance after Draper extended his arms during a rally, indicating he thought a shot was going long.
Umpire Aurelie Tourte examined footage on her tablet before ruling against Draper and awarding the point to the Russian. Draper acknowledged it was a challenging situation for the official but felt Medvedev had “played the rules quite well,” adding he did not believe his gesture had genuinely distracted his opponent.
Wimbledon joins the US Open, which introduced video reviews in 2023, and the Australian Open, which followed suit this year. Scoreboards across all courts will now display visual indicators for “out” and “fault” calls, complementing audio announcements from the electronic line calling system. This enhancement aims to help spectators determine whether balls landed in or out, addressing occasional confusion in the crowds.
The Championships commence on 29 June, exactly 100 days from Saturday’s announcement. As the tournament approaches, the integration of this technology signals a new era for Wimbledon, where tradition meets modern innovation in the pursuit of fairness and clarity on the courts.
