The
US Open has confirmed that it will use video review technology in this year's tournament as an effective way to help umpires make the fairest decisions.
Video reviews have been around in the sport for a few years, and have been used in some tournaments such as the Next Gen finals and the
ATP Cup, but have still not been used at most events.
However, this could be about to change, as the United States Tennis Association have announced that they will employ video review technology 'for all Main Draw matches played on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, Grandstand, Court No.5 and Court No.17.'
What does video review technology do?
The video review technology at the US Open will check for a range of issues that are difficult for people to always spot correctly. These include checking if the ball has bounced more than once (or more than twice in wheelchair tennis) prior to contact, if the ball has touched the player anywhere apart from their racket, or if the ball has passed through the net instead of over it.
The technology will also be used for any decision about whether or not a point should be replayed, as well as to determine foul shots, foot faults, and invasions, and can even be used to challenge a line call when the line review system is unable to make a clear decision.
Moreover, it also works to combat any scoring errors, ensuring that the scores are as they should be.
US Open sets technology trend
This is not the first time that the US Open has somewhat led the way in terms of the sport's technology usage, as they were the first Grand Slam to introduce electronic line calling back in 2020.
Whilst they originally did so in order to reduce staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, the major continues to use it to this day, and the
Australian Open has now also brought the technology in.
Indeed, the ATP have since announced that all of their events will use electronic line calling from 2025 onwards.