Wimbledon will follow the US and Aussie Opens in utilizing video review technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the option to question specific decisions made by the official, echoing the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four show courts when they are staging singles contests.
This development comes just a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which terminated the longstanding role of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to re-examine specific decisions, including:
- Whether a ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a shot touched an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a point.
Importantly, there is no limit on the number of challenges a player can request.
Case in Point
An illustrative incident occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the rally to his opponent.
Growing Trend
Video reviews are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Aussie 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 video reviews in place at all of its tournaments.
Further Updates
A further change at The Championships this year involves the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves instances where the crowd have sometimes been uncertain if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, the AELTC have also revealed an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in Roehampton.
