Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the right to challenge particular rulings made by the official, following the system already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
