The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships this year.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest certain rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the AELTC implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the longstanding role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a video and ruled the player was guilty of interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where fans have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
