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Wimbledon breaks tradition with introduction of new rules ahead of 2026 tournament

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Wimbledon will deploy video review technology for the first time at this year’s Championships, the All England Club confirmed on Saturday.

The system enables competitors to contest specific judgment calls made by chair umpires, including double bounces, racket or body touches, and hindrance incidents.


Six show courts will feature the technology, with Centre Court and Court One offering reviews throughout the tournament.

The remaining four show courts will have the capability during singles matches.

Wimbledon will deploy video review technology for the first time at this year's Championships

Wimbledon will deploy video review technology for the first time at this year’s Championships

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PA

This marks another significant technological advancement for the oldest Grand Slam, which only last year adopted electronic line calling, bringing an end to 147 years of human line judges.

Players face no restrictions on the number of reviews they may request during matches, offering unlimited opportunities to challenge umpire decisions.

However, the accuracy of the electronic line calling system itself cannot be disputed through this new review process.

Competitors can seek reviews in two scenarios: immediately when play stops following a point-ending call, or directly after a point concludes if they believe hindrance occurred.

Jack DraperJack Draper’s Indian Wells title defence came to a contentious conclusion in the quarter-finals after umpire Aurelie Tourte penalised him for hindrance | GETTY

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club stated that players may challenge calls such as “not-up”, “foul shot” and “touch” under the new framework.

The review system was recently demonstrated at Indian Wells, where Daniil Medvedev successfully challenged Jack Draper for hindrance after the British player extended his arms during a rally to indicate he thought a shot was going long.

Umpire Aurelie Tourte examined footage on her tablet before ruling against Draper and awarding the point to the Russian.

Draper acknowledged it was a challenging situation for the official but felt Medvedev had “played the rules quite well”, adding he did not believe his gesture had genuinely distracted his opponent.

Wimbledon joins the US Open, which introduced video reviews in 2023, and the Australian Open, which followed suit this year.

The US Open and Australian Open already use video reviews, with Wimbledon set to join the two other majors in doing so

The US Open and Australian Open already use video reviews, with Wimbledon set to join the two other majors in doing so

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PA

Scoreboards across all courts will now display visual indicators for “out” and “fault” calls, complementing the audio announcements from the electronic line calling system.

Spectators have occasionally struggled to determine whether balls landed in or out, prompting this enhancement. At the Australian Open earlier this year, net posts illuminated red whenever a ball was called out, providing crowds with a clear visual signal.

The Championships commence on 29 June, exactly 100 days from Saturday’s announcement.

Organisers also revealed that daily capacity at the qualifying event in Roehampton will rise from 3,500 to 4,000 spectators.

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