Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to challenge certain calls from the chair umpire, echoing the protocol currently in place at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a season following the All England Club implemented ELC, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
