Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Replay systems will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the ability to challenge certain decisions made by the official, following the protocol already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a ball touched an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Practical Application
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and determined the player was guilty of interference, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Wider Implementation
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another change at The Championships this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
