The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay systems.
Replay technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players are granted the right to challenge specific rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
