The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to challenge particular rulings made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in use at each of the American Grand Slam and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four show courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This development follows just a year after the All England Club implemented ELC, which terminated the 147-year role of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the umpire to re-examine other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Possible interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of challenges a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against Jack Draper.
Draper admitted it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his rival had "used the regulations quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a video and ruled Draper was responsible for interference, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system was adopted at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Additionally, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the introduction of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses situations where fans have occasionally been unsure if a shot was out or in.
Finally, with exactly a century of days remaining until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have also announced an expansion in daily attendance at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
