- Thursday, October 10, 2024
Wimbledon officials stated that the electronic system would be implemented across all courts used for both the Championships and qualifying matches.
By: EasternEye
WIMBLEDON announced on Wednesday that it will replace traditional line judges with an electronic line-calling system starting in 2025.
This decision marks a significant change for the grass-court tournament, which has long featured human line judges as part of its tradition.
The All England Club explained that the move aims to “balance tradition and innovation,” as electronic line-calling becomes more common in tennis tournaments globally.
Both the men’s ATP Tour and the women’s WTA Tour have already announced plans to adopt the technology by 2025.
Electronic line-calling is currently used at the Australian Open and the US Open, while the French Open remains the only Grand Slam tournament that continues to use line judges.
Wimbledon officials stated that the electronic system would be implemented across all courts used for both the Championships and qualifying matches.
The system will handle all “out” and “fault” calls previously made by human line umpires.
Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, said the decision followed thorough testing during this year’s Championships.
“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,” she said.
Bolton added that the shift to electronic line-calling aligns with what players experience at many other tournaments, ensuring consistency.
She also thanked the line umpires for their service, acknowledging their long-standing role at Wimbledon.
In addition to the technology change, Wimbledon also announced that the men’s and women’s singles finals would start at 4 pm local time next year, two hours later than the previous 2 pm start.
Next year’s Wimbledon is scheduled to run from June 30 to July 13.
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