The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in employing replay systems.
Replay technology will be launched at Wimbledon this year.
Competitors will gain the right to challenge specific rulings from the chair umpire, mirroring the practice currently in operation at each of the US Open and the Aussie major.
The new system will be accessible on Centre Court and Court One for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles contests.
This step follows just a season following the AELTC introduced ELC, which terminated the centuries-old tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Competitors will not be permitted to dispute the accuracy of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the umpire to review specific decisions, such as:
- Whether a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- If a ball touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of reviews a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
A recent example occurred in Indian Wells last week, where a top player initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a tough call for the official, but thought his opponent had "played the rules effectively."
The umpire watched a video and ruled Draper was responsible for hindrance, awarding the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology are not new for major tournaments. The system was adopted at the US Open for two years and the Australian Open this year.
Furthermore, it is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour will have the system implemented at all of its events.
Further Updates
Another innovation at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on displays to complement the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This solves situations where fans have occasionally been uncertain whether a shot was in or out.
Finally, with exactly a century of days to go until the beginning of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily attendance at the qualifiers in the qualifying venue.
