Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes are granted the right to contest particular rulings made by the official, mirroring the protocol already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a player can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. 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 women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
