The greatest tennis tournament in the world is just 100 days away: The Wimbledon Championships.
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is certainly not an adage the higher-ups at Wimbledon live by, as, although steeped in tradition, they continue to make changes to the prestigious event every year.
Of course, some things remain the same. Players wear all-whites, fans indulge in strawberries and cream, but on the court, the decision makers at the All England Club are not afraid to evolve along with the rest of world tennis.
Last year’s big change was the removal of line-judges for the first time in 147 years, with the tournament implementing electronic line calling.
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The change was largely welcomed by fans, and although it went fairly smoothly, one failure was always going to result in uproar, and that’s exactly what happened.
Wimbledon set to introduce video review for the 2026 tournament
During home hope Sonay Kartal’s fourth round meeting with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the latter was serving for a 5-4 lead in the first set.
Pavlyuchenkova had advantage on serve, and should have won a point to seal the game when Kartal’s backhand landed out behind the baseline, but the electronic line-calling system failed to register the ball, and the umpire decided to replay the point.
Kartal went on to clinch the break of serve, and the Russian told the umpire: “You took the game away from me … They stole the game from me. They stole it.”
Wimbledon ultimately issued an apology for the incident, and Pavlyuchenkova ultimately won the match, but regardless, the controversy was an incredibly bad look for the tournament.
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This year’s edition, however, has now provided a solution by following the Australian Open and the US Open in introducing video review.
It was announced on Saturday that video review technology will be available on six show courts at the 2026 Championships
Players will now be able to request review of calls, such as whether the ball has bounced twice, as well as hindrance calls.
There will be no limit to how many reviews a player can request, and visual indicators for electronic line calling will be put on the scoreboards.
The change is much-needed, and one that will prevent the greatest event tennis has to offer from embarrassing itself again.
Wimbledon Chief Executive wants to ‘evolve’ the tournament
As per Sky Sports, Chief Executive Officer at the All England Club Sally Bolton said: “Each year we look for ways to evolve and enhance Wimbledon, both on and off the court.
“Through various enhancements ranging from a new public dining offer, the introduction of Video Review technology, and improved accessibility for live Electronic Line Calling, we want to deliver the best possible experience for everyone at Wimbledon.”
The Wimbledon championships are set to get underway on the 29th of June, and will run until the 12th of July.
Wildcards for the event will be announced on June 17th, and the official draw will take place on June 26th.
Last year’s champions were Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, who both claimed maiden crowns in South West London.
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