Wimbledon to Replace Line Judges with Electronic Line-Calling Starting 2025
Wimbledon officials announced on Wednesday a significant change for the iconic grass-court tournament: the elimination of traditional line judges in favor of electronic line-calling (ELC), with the new technology set to be implemented in 2025. This marks a departure from the 147-year tradition that has made line judges as recognizable as the tournament’s characteristic strawberries and cream and the strict all-white attire players are required to wear.
In a move to align with global tennis practices, the All England Club has opted for ELC to “balance tradition and innovation.” The ATP Tour, in 2023, revealed plans to roll out electronic line-calling across the tour starting in 2025, with the WTA Tour following suit. While ELC has already been adopted at the Australian Open and the US Open, the French Open remains the sole Grand Slam yet to make the transition.
The All England Club confirmed that the technology will be utilized across all courts during the Championships and qualifying matches, specifically for ‘out’ and ‘fault’ calls that line umpires have traditionally handled. The decision stems from thorough testing conducted during this year’s tournament, leading officials to adopt live ELC for enhanced accuracy and consistency.
Since 2007, Hawk-Eye technology has been in use at Wimbledon, allowing players to challenge line calls on certain courts. All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton remarked, “The decision to introduce live electronic line calling at the Championships was made following a significant period of consideration and consultation. After reviewing the results from this year’s testing, we believe the technology is now sufficiently reliable to warrant this important step for accuracy in officiating.”
Bolton emphasized that this change would standardize conditions for players, who have experienced similar systems at numerous other events on the tour. She also acknowledged the pivotal role that line umpires have played in Wimbledon’s officiating structure over the years, expressing gratitude for their dedication and service.
In addition to the technological update, Wimbledon chiefs revealed that the men’s and women’s singles finals will now begin at a later time of 4:00 pm local time (1500 GMT), an adjustment from the previous start time of 2:00 pm. The next Wimbledon tournament is scheduled to take place from June 30 to July 13, 2024.
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