The tournament joins the American and Aussie Opens in implementing video review technology.
Video review systems will be launched at The Championships this year.
Players will gain the right to question specific calls from the chair umpire, following the system already in use at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This technology will be operational on the main stadium and the number one court for the duration of the tournament and on the other four featured courts when they are staging singles matches.
This development arrives only a year after the All England Club rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the 147-year role of line officials.
Reviewable Decisions
Competitors cannot to challenge the accuracy of the ELC system, but are allowed to ask for the official to review specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has bounced twice.
- Whether a ball made contact with an rival's racket or body during play.
- Potential hindrance at the conclusion of a rally.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of challenges a competitor can initiate.
A Recent Example
An illustrative example took place in a recent tournament last week, where Daniil Medvedev initiated the video challenge against Jack Draper.
The British player conceded it was a difficult call for the official, but believed his opponent had "used the regulations quite well."
The umpire viewed a video and determined the player was responsible for interference, awarding the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the WTA circuit, and by the coming year the ATP circuit plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Additional Innovations
A further change at Wimbledon this year involves the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the ELC system.
This addresses instances where the crowd have sometimes been unsure if a ball was in or out.
In other news, with precisely 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, the AELTC have further announced an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
