Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the option to challenge specific decisions made by the official, echoing the practice currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which terminated the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
