The London-based ATP announced Friday that it will use
Electronic Line Calling Live — known as ELC Live — for all “out” calls in all
matches beginning two years from now. Each match still will be overseen by a
chair umpire, but the line judges who used to be entrusted with determining
where shots landed will no longer be present on court.
It represents the next step toward relying on technology for
line calls in a process that gained speed at the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals, when
ELC Live was first tried on the men’s tour. A spokesperson for the WTA women’s
tour did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding any plans
for electronic calls at its tournaments.
Line judges were used at fewer and fewer sites during the
coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020, including at the Australian Open and
U.S. Open, Grand Slam tournaments that are not run by the ATP and thus do not
need to adhere to the tour’s policies.
Electronic systems have been used mainly on hard courts and
grass courts, but the ATP said its new policy will include every surface,
including clay courts.
Some in the sport, including the French Open, where
main-draw play begins on May 28, have resisted switching away from humans
making calls because tennis balls leave marks in the clay that can be used to
determine where a shot hit the ground.
“This is a landmark moment for our sport, and not one we’ve
reached without careful consideration. Tradition is core to tennis and line
judges have played an important part in the game over the years,” ATP CEO
Andrea Gaudenzi said.
“That said, we have a responsibility to embrace innovation
and new technologies,” Gaudenzi added. “Our sport deserves the most accurate
form of officiating.” -AP
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