The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the option to contest specific rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in place at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move arrives only a season following the All England Club implemented electronic line calling, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to challenge the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to review other situations, including:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Notably, there will be no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent example took place in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was guilty of interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
Video reviews are not exclusive to Grand Slams. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system implemented at all of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where the crowd have occasionally been uncertain if a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
