Wimbledon 2026 upholds tradition as line judges are replaced and streaming moves to Amazon

The Wimbledon Championships, founded in 1877 and staged at the All England Club in London, are renowned for their strict all‑white dress code, strawberries and cream, royal attendance and, until recently, human line judges.

In 2025 the club announced that human line judges would be eliminated, with all calls now made by Hawk‑Eye technology, marking a significant modernization while preserving other historic customs.

The 2026 edition runs from 29 June to 12 July, featuring reigning men’s champion Jannik Sinner and women’s champion Iga Świątek as the tournament’s marquee players. Broadcast rights in Germany are held exclusively by Amazon Prime Video through 2027, meaning matches are accessible only via the streaming service and not on free‑to‑air TV.

Tickets are distributed through a public ballot, on‑site queue and hospitality packages. Former champion Roger Federer will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in August 2026 and will appear in a show‑double match at Newport. Federer remarked, “I miss being here,” underscoring his enduring connection to Wimbledon.