The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the option to question specific calls made by the chair umpire, following the system currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the amount of reviews a player can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
