Wimbledon to use video review for first time in 2026

The All England Club announced Saturday that video review will debut on Centre Court, No. 1 Court, and four other show courts for this year’s tournament.espn
Players can contest calls like double bounces and ball contact, mirroring systems already used at the US Open since 2023 and the Australian Open since 2025.yahoo
The move follows last year’s rocky switch to electronic line calling, which saw the Hawk-Eye system accidentally deactivated during a Centre Court match.pbs

Wimbledon to Introduce Video Review Technology for the First Time in 2026

The All England Club announced Saturday that Wimbledon will use video review technology for the first time at this year’s Championships, allowing players to challenge certain calls made by the chair umpire on six courts across the grounds.espn

How It Will Work

The technology will be available on Centre Court and No. 1 Court throughout the tournament, which begins on June 29, as well as on No. 2 Court, No. 3 Court, Court 12, and Court 18 for singles matches. Players will be able to request reviews on specific calls, such as whether a ball bounced twice or touched an opponent’s racket or body. There will be no limit on the number of reviews a player can request.thehindubusinessline

Video review is separate from the electronic line-calling system that determines whether shots land in or out. The technology mirrors protocols already in place at two other Grand Slams — the US Open introduced video reviews in 2023, while the Australian Open adopted them in 2025.yahoo

A Year After Going Electronic

The move comes a year after Wimbledon replaced its line judges with electronic line calling, ending 147 years of tradition at the tournament. That transition was not without difficulty — an incident during the 2025 Championships saw the Hawk-Eye system inadvertently switched off for three points during a Centre Court match, prompting the All England Club to blame “human error” and implement safeguards to prevent a recurrence.pbs

Players had also voiced frustration that replay technology was available to fans on stadium screens but could not be used by competitors to challenge umpire decisions beyond line calls. The introduction of video review addresses that gap.frontofficesports

Broader Changes on the Horizon

Wimbledon will also introduce visual indicators on scoreboards this year to accompany the audio calls generated by electronic line calling, after fans at times struggled to determine whether a ball had been ruled in or out. The men’s ATP Tour plans to implement video reviews at all its events by next season, further cementing the technology as a standard across professional tennis.yahoo