The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Players will gain the ability to contest particular rulings from the chair umpire, following the practice already in place at both the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and Court One throughout the Championships and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step arrives only a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a competitor can initiate.
Practical Application
A recent incident took place in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
In other news, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
