The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in utilizing replay technology.
Video review technology will make its debut at Wimbledon in the upcoming tournament.
Competitors will gain the ability to contest specific decisions made by the chair umpire, mirroring the system already in operation at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the remaining featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This move arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out ELC, which effectively ended the centuries-old role of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can ask for the official to review other decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the amount of reviews a player can initiate.
Case in Point
An illustrative case occurred in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but thought his rival had "played the rules quite well."
Official Aurelie Tourte viewed a replay and determined the player was responsible for hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for Grand Slams. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by next season the ATP circuit will have video reviews in place at every one of its tournaments.
Additional Innovations
A further innovation at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on displays to complement the audio calls from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where spectators have occasionally been unsure whether a ball was out or in.
In other news, with precisely a century of days to go until the beginning of the Championships, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
