Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the option to challenge particular calls made by the official, mirroring the protocol currently in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a season following the All England Club introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other situations, such as:
- If a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the point 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.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
