LONDON: For the first time in its 148-year history, Wimbledon will not feature line judges at this year Championships.

The decision that The All England Lawn Tennis Club confirmed last October will deprive the people of the familiar shouts of ‘out’ and ‘fault’.

The line judges will be replaced by Live Electronic Line Calling technology. This system provides automated calls during play, informing players and the chair umpire of decisions across all main draw matches.

Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton stated the decision followed “a significant period of consideration and consultation”. She explained that testing results convinced them the technology is “sufficiently robust” to ensure “maximum accuracy in our officiating.”

Bolton noted it offers players consistency with other tour events and stressed Wimbledon’s “responsibility to balance tradition and innovation.”

The club acknowledged the “central role” and “valuable contribution” of line judges over decades, thanking them for their “commitment and service.”

Malgorzata Grzyb, chair of the Association of British Tennis Officials, acknowledged “a bit of sadness” at this “end of a tradition”, but described the move as anticipated and inevitable, given developments globally. She pointed out that two other Grand Slams already use electronic calling.

With Wimbledon’s adoption, only the clay-court French Open remains as the sole major tournament still employing human line judges.

The electronic system uses cameras, computers and sensors to track the ball’s path, similar to technologies like Hawk-Eye used in cricket.

The ATP now uses it at all events, and it’s increasingly common on the WTA tour. The Australian Open was the first Grand Slam to adopt it in 2021, followed by the US Open in 2022.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2025