Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the option to challenge particular rulings made by the chair umpire, echoing the practice currently in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
