Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in employing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the option to challenge particular calls from the official, mirroring the system currently in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation 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 hosting singles matches.
This step comes just a season following the All England Club rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of reviews a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent case occurred in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted 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 ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
