Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review technology are set to arrive at Wimbledon this year.
Players are granted the option to contest particular decisions made by the official, following the protocol already in use at both the US Open 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 other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development follows just a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to re-examine other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can request.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to major tournaments. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
