Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to challenge specific decisions made by the official, mirroring the practice already in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to review specific decisions, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
