The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review systems will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Athletes are granted the option to question particular calls from the official, echoing the protocol already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
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 matches.
This move arrives only a year after the All England Club introduced ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to re-examine specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be an unlimited number on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a video and determined Draper was guilty of interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
In other news, with exactly 100 days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
