Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest certain calls made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon 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 fans have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
