Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors will gain the option to challenge particular rulings made by the official, echoing the practice already in use at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't 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 women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
