Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes will gain the option to contest specific calls from the official, following the practice already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a year after the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
A recent case took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his opponent had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It 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 next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have sometimes been unsure if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
