Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest particular calls from the official, mirroring the practice already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can ask for the official to review other decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
