Wimbledon will follow the American and Aussie Opens in implementing replay technology.
Replay technology will be launched at The Championships this year.
Players are granted the option to contest certain calls from the chair umpire, mirroring the system currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This technology will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative example occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and determined Draper was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for major tournaments. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where spectators have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
