Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Video review technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes are granted the option to contest certain decisions from the chair umpire, following the practice already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which brought an end to the 147-year role of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent case took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
In other news, with precisely a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
