Wimbledon Goes Video‑Review, Not Just Line‑Calling

The 2026 Wimbledon Championships will be the first time the oldest Grand Slam uses video review on its courts. The All England Club said that Centre Court, No. 1 Court and four other show courts will have the system ready for players to challenge chair‑umpire decisions, such as double bounces. The move follows the U. S. Open’s debut of video review in 2023 and the Australian Open’s existing use of the technology. Players will be able to request as many reviews as they wish, and the system will run throughout the tournament that starts on June 29. In addition to Centre Court and No. 1 Court, the technology will be available on No. 2 Court, No. 3 Court, Court 12 and Court 18 for singles matches. Video review is separate from the electronic line‑calling that was introduced last year, which still relies on real‑time ball‑in or ball‑out judgments.

Last season, Wimbledon replaced the traditional line judges with electronic line‑calling, a change that met some criticism. To address those concerns, the club added visual indicators on scoreboards to display ‘out’ and ‘fault’ calls. The new video‑review feature is meant to give players more confidence in the fairness of on‑court decisions. The introduction of video review signals Wimbledon’s willingness to modernize while preserving its historic traditions. It also shows that even a centuries‑old tournament can adapt to technology that players and fans expect.

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