The tournament joins the US and Australian Opens in employing replay technology.
Replay technology will make its debut at Wimbledon this year.
Athletes will gain the option to question certain calls from the official, echoing the practice already in use at each of the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation is slated for use on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles contests.
This development comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out ELC, which brought an end to the 147-year tradition of line judges.
Scope of Challenges
Players cannot to challenge the call of the ELC system, but they can request the umpire to review specific situations, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot touched an rival's racket or person on the way past.
- Possible hindrance end of a rally.
Notably, there will be no cap on the number of reviews a player can request.
Practical Application
An illustrative example occurred in a recent tournament last week, where a top player initiated the review system against Jack Draper.
The British player admitted it was a difficult call for the umpire, but thought his rival had "used the regulations effectively."
The umpire viewed a replay and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Wider Implementation
This technology aren't new for Grand Slams. It has been in use at the American major 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 plans to have video reviews implemented at every one of its tournaments.
Further Updates
Another innovation at The Championships this year will be the introduction of visual indicators on displays to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where fans have occasionally been unsure if a ball was out or in.
Finally, with exactly 100 days to go until the start of the tournament, organizers have also announced an increase in daily capacity at the qualifying competition in the qualifying venue.
