Wimbledon is to replace all of its line judges with Live Electronic Line Calling from 2025, the tournament’s organisers have said.
In a major break from tradition, the championships will follow the lead of the other Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian Open and US Open, as well as a number of other tour events.
Hawk-Eye technology has been used on certain courts at Wimbledon since 2007, helping officials and allowing players to challenge line calls.
From 2025, the system will be fully automated across the entire site, including during qualifying at Roehampton.
It means line judges will no longer be required for the first time in the tournament’s 147-year history.
The All England Club’s chief executive Sally Bolton said organisers went through “a significant period of consideration and consultation” before deciding to make the switch.
Testing was carried out at last year’s event, Ms Bolton said, and after seeing the results, the club has decided the technology is “sufficiently robust” to move to a fully automated system.
Not even John McEnroe could win an argument with a computer
Only the players now surely cannot be replaced by AI.
The march of technology in sport has claimed the most traditional of Wimbledon sights after strawberries and cream – line judges.
They’ve been there since the first championship 147 years ago – standing smartly behind the players, silent mostly apart from the shouts of “out”.
But the human eye is no match for the Hawk Eye Live Electronic Line Calling system.
Calls can now be made in an instant, to perfection.
A tool…
