Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes will gain the right to contest specific calls from the chair umpire, following the system already in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the official to review other situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a tough situation for the umpire, but believed his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a video and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses situations where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
