Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to challenge particular rulings made by the chair umpire, following the system currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a player can request.
Practical Application
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian 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 the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
