Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes are granted the ability to challenge certain decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This move comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined Draper was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
