Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in implementing video review systems.
Video review systems will be launched at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the right to challenge specific calls made by the chair umpire, mirroring the protocol currently in use at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One throughout the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but they can request the official to review specific situations, such as:
- If a ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or body on the way past.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the amount of reviews a competitor can ask for.
Case in Point
A recent example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
