Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the option to question specific rulings from the official, mirroring the system currently in operation at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example 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 official, but thought his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
