Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the option to contest particular calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice already in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent example took place in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
