WIMBLEDON have ditched line judges for the first time in its 147-year history.
And that will mean the Championships will never look the same again.
Tennis fans know Wimbledon is synonymous with the men and women calling “fault”, decked out in their expensive Ralph Lauren outfits.
And although the Hawk-Eye challenge system has been used at the tournament since 2007, the decision has been made to fully replace the line judges with AI.
It is understood the All England Club were reluctant to make the switch from people around the lawns to electronic line calling (ELC).
Chair umpires will remain.
However, the 300 officials will now be sidelined with the automatic Hawk-Eye Live system taking over across all 18 tournament courts including Centre Court – plus at qualifying in Roehampton.
Chief executive of the AELTC Sally Bolton said: “The decision to introduce Live Electronic Line Calling at The Championships was made following a significant period of consideration and consultation.
“Having reviewed the results of the testing undertaken at The Championships this year, we consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating.
“For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.
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“We take our responsibility to balance tradition and innovation at Wimbledon very seriously.
“Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at The Championships for many decades and we recognise their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service.”
Hawk-Eye Live was first used for a Grand Slam during the 2020 US Open at the height of the pandemic and has been continued in New York before also being adopted by the Australian Open.
It means the razor-sharp cameras pick up when shots land out and automatically trigger an “out” call over the PA tannoy system.
ELC is deemed to be the most accurate way of ensuring line calls are consistent – rather than having humans make the judgement which players can challenge up to three times incorrectly in a set.
The Hawk-Eye Live format, though, is much quicker and eliminates the need to challenge because the tech is used in real-time – a tenth of a second to be precise.
By Joshua Jones
THE absence of line judges at Wimbledon will be a sad sight.
For as long as I can remember, the men and women decked out in their Ralph Lauren outfits have been part of the furniture at the All England Club.
Yes, they provided some mild entertainment on the court when one would call “fault” with plenty of extra, and unnecessary, gusto and volume that boomed around Centre Court, prompting a snigger from the fans.
Then there was the ongoing game of dodgeball they had to play when a big serve nailed a mammoth ace down the line and they had to take rapid evasive action or take a whack to the top of the head.
And challenges provided some audience participation, excitedly joining in the clapping countdown before the inevitable “oooh” when the graphic showed just how close the ball was to landing in or out.
Purely objectively, Wimbledon’s decision to replace line judges with Hawk-Eye Live makes total sense.
The accuracy and consistency of calls in real-time will speed things up, save time and should mark the end of arguments over the tight incorrect calls – well, until the technology malfunctions.
And Wimbledon’s hand was somewhat forced to ditch tradition for their standing in tennis.
The Australian Open and US Open already use electronic line calling and the ATP Tour is adopting Hawk-Eye Live across all of its tournaments from 2025.
Wimbledon’s refusal to comply would leave them lagging behind and exposed to the threat of needless controversy over human error.
But the impact – as is so often the case in these decisions – has ramifications further down, below the surface with very little impact on Wimbledon’s Championships or the players.
It is on the line judges themselves.
Approximately 300 officials – aged from 18 to 80 – covered more than 650 matches at Wimbledon.
A fraction travel internationally with the circuit but the vast majority of those are part-time line judges based in the UK, earning up to £180 per day to work at the prestigious tournament and their chance to play their part at Wimbledon.
For many, they will help out at British tournaments throughout the year, spurred on by the possibility of taking to the lawns of the All England Club.
But it is understood many of those officials would be reluctant to work at the lower-level tournaments without the carrot of Wimbledon dangling in the summer.
That in turn will put a major stumbling block in the pathway for British tennis umpires, who grind up through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Like football with referees, tennis needs umpires and line judges.
So the inability to call “out” at Wimbledon could prove to be a major “fault” for the future of the UK’s tennis officials and therefore the state of the sport on these shores.
The reaction to the move is likely to be split.
Fans adore the tradition of Wimbledon and this change feels like a key part of the furniture being ripped away.
But the players will no doubt appreciate the transition, especially because the men’s ATP Tour is upgrading to ELC for all its events from the 2025 season.
John McEnroe, whose famous catchphrase “you cannot be serious” stemmed from arguments over line calls, has previously approved the introduction of ELC.
He said in 2023: “If you have equipment that’s accurate, I’m sorry, you have got to go with that.
“Maybe I wouldn’t be talking to you now because of the antics and maybe I would have won more, but I would have been more boring.”
Wimbledon also announced a major change to their schedule on finals weekend.
Both singles finals will now start at 4pm rather than 2pm – with a doubles final before each at 1pm.
By Alison Maloney
WHILE the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Andy Murray keep us entertained during this summer’s Championships, spare a thought for those unsung heroes that keep the tournament going.
Personal trainer Alex Crockford, now 33, served as a ball boy at Wimbledon in 2005 and 2006, and has lifted the lid to SunSport on what it’s really like.
“Standing still for hours is one of the toughest parts of being a ball boy,” he says.
“It’s quite strict and you don’t want to let your team down or feel like you’re doing a bad job.
“I remember one really hot day, I clearly hadn’t fuelled or hydrated myself appropriately.
“I did have a very faint moment, and started seeing blurry stars.
“There are six BBGs on the court and a captain, which was me, so I was standing to the left of the umpire chair and I was away from my water.
“I had to go outside of my position, get some water and re-balance myself before I could continue.”
Click here to read Alex’s ball boy story in full.
