The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Replay systems are set to arrive at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the ability to challenge specific rulings from the official, echoing the protocol already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the remaining show courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step follows just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to re-examine specific situations, including:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference end of a rally.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells recently, where Daniil Medvedev used the video challenge against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a tough situation for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled the player was guilty of hindrance, awarding the rally to Medvedev.
Growing Trend
Video reviews aren't new for Grand Slams. It was adopted at the American major for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Additionally, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by the coming year the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year involves the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This solves instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days remaining until the start of the tournament, organizers have also revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
