Wimbledon will follow the US and Australian Opens in implementing replay systems.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships this year.
Competitors are granted the ability to challenge certain decisions from the official, echoing the protocol currently in operation at both the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step arrives only a season following the AELTC implemented ELC, which terminated the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Reviewable Decisions
Players cannot to dispute the call of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the umpire to review other situations, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or body during play.
- Potential interference end of a point.
Importantly, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can request.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire watched a replay and ruled the player was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to Medvedev.
Broader Adoption
This technology are not exclusive to major tournaments. It was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where fans have occasionally been unsure if a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
