The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Replay technology are set to arrive at The Championships this year.
Competitors will gain the right to contest certain decisions from the chair umpire, following the practice currently in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development comes just a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which terminated the centuries-old role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to request the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no limit on the amount of reviews a player can ask for.
A Recent Example
An illustrative case took place in Indian Wells recently, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system has been in use at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews implemented at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
