Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review technology.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to question specific decisions from the official, following the practice currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to review specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, 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 The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
