The tournament joins the US and Aussie Opens in employing video review systems.
Video review systems will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Players will gain the ability to question particular decisions made by the chair umpire, following the system already in place at each of the American Grand Slam and the Aussie major.
The new system is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This step comes just a season following the AELTC introduced electronic line calling, which brought an end to the longstanding tradition of line officials.
What Can Be Reviewed?
Players cannot to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but they can request the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a ball has double-bounced.
- If a shot made contact with an rival's racket or person during play.
- Possible interference end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a player can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent incident occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player used the video challenge against his opponent.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the umpire, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire watched a video and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to Medvedev.
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 WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the audio calls from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a ball was in or out.
Finally, with precisely a century of days remaining until the beginning of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
