Wimbledon will follow the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes are granted the ability to question certain rulings made by the official, following the protocol currently in use at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development arrives only a year after the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the call of the ELC system, but they can request the official to review other situations, including:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can request.
A Recent Example
A recent case took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte watched a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie 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 in place at every one of its tournaments.
Other Changes
A further innovation at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have occasionally been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
