The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships for the 2025 edition.
Athletes are granted the right to contest certain calls made by the official, echoing the protocol currently in use at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a year after the AELTC implemented ELC, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major since 2023 and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
