Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the option to contest specific calls from the official, mirroring the system already in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move follows just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example 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 official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a replay and determined Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
