The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay systems.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the ability to challenge specific decisions from the official, mirroring the practice currently in use at both the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
This innovation will be accessible on the main stadium and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Notably, there is no limit on the number of challenges a competitor can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult situation for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled the player was responsible for interference, granting the point to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
This technology aren't new for major tournaments. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at all of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another change at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely 100 days remaining until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have further revealed an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
