Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest particular decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players will not be permitted to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is an unlimited number on the number of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
