The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the option to question specific decisions made by the official, mirroring the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Practical Application
An illustrative case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
