Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the option to challenge certain calls made by the official, following the protocol currently in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development follows just a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether 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 no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
