Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the option to challenge particular decisions from the official, echoing the practice currently in operation at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This technology will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development follows just a year after the AELTC rolled out ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine other decisions, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure if a shot was in or out.
In other news, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
