Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the right to challenge specific decisions from the chair umpire, following the protocol already in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system 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 year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
This technology 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 men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
