The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes will gain the option to question specific rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which brought an end to the longstanding role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players 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 bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
