The tournament joins the American and Australian Opens in utilizing video review systems.
Replay systems will be launched at The Championships in the upcoming tournament.
Athletes are granted the option to contest specific decisions made by the chair umpire, following the practice currently in place at both the US Open and the Australian Open.
This innovation will be operational on Centre Court and the number one court for the duration of the Championships and on the other four featured courts when they are hosting singles matches.
This move comes just a season following the AELTC rolled out electronic line calling, which effectively ended the centuries-old tradition of line officials.
Scope of Challenges
Players will not be permitted to dispute the call of the electronic line calling, but are allowed to request the official to review other decisions, such as:
- If a tennis ball has double-bounced.
- Whether a shot made contact with an opponent's racquet or person on the way past.
- Potential interference at the conclusion of a point.
Importantly, there is no cap on the number of challenges a player can request.
Case in Point
A recent case occurred in a recent tournament recently, where a top player used the review system against his opponent.
Draper conceded it was a difficult call for the umpire, but believed his rival had "played the rules quite well."
The umpire viewed a replay and determined the player was guilty of hindrance, granting the point to his opponent.
Broader Adoption
This technology aren't exclusive to major tournaments. The system has been in use at the US Open for two years and the Aussie Open this year.
Furthermore, it is increasingly prevalent on the women’s WTA Tour, and by next season the men's ATP Tour plans to have the system in place at every one of its events.
Other Changes
Another change at The Championships this year will be the addition of graphical cues on scoreboards to support the verbal announcements from the electronic line calling system.
This addresses instances where spectators have sometimes been uncertain whether a shot was out or in.
Finally, with precisely a century of days to go until the start of the Championships, the AELTC have further revealed an expansion in daily capacity at the qualifiers in Roehampton.
