Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors are granted the option to question particular calls from the official, mirroring the protocol currently in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
An illustrative incident took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major 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 ATP circuit will have the system implemented at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
