Wimbledon line judges won't have to worry about verbal attacks from tennis stars next year—because they're being put out of work. For the first time in its 147-year history, the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament will rely solely on electronic line calling (ELC) to determine "out" and "fault" calls come June 2025. Chief Executive Sally Bolton, CEO of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, said "this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating" came after "a significant period of consideration and consultation," including testing of the technology at this year's tournament, per the Guardian. "We consider the technology to be sufficiently robust," Bolton added Wednesday.
Though the All England Club is a stickler for tradition, it's been using ball-tracking and line-calling technology for many years. ELC has long determined whether a serve at Wimbledon is in or out, per the AP. ELC "has allowed for quicker and more accurate decisions," the Guardian reports, noting "there are far fewer contentious calls when it is in place." However, Wimbledon will now be free of charged interactions between players and line judges and electronic reviews of calls, which added to the suspense and spectacle, the outlet notes.
The move also "means fewer part-time opportunities for trained officials. ... Many chair umpires started off as line officials." As the US and Australian Opens already eliminated line judges, the French Open is now the only Grand Slam tournament still employing them. (More Wimbledon stories.)
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