Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Athletes are granted the right to challenge particular calls made by the official, mirroring the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move follows just a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
