The presence of well-dressed umpires and line judges has been a staple of the 147-year-old Grand Slam, much like the classic strawberries and cream and the mandatory all-white attire for players.
However, Wimbledon has decided to align itself with global trends, stating that this change aims to "balance tradition and innovation."
In 2023, the men’s ATP Tour revealed plans for a comprehensive implementation of electronic line-calling (ELC) by 2025 to enhance accuracy and consistency across tournaments, with the women’s WTA Tour following suit.
This technology is already in use at the Australian Open and US Open, while the French Open remains an exception among the four Grand Slams.
The All England Club confirmed that it will adopt live ELC starting next year.
"The officiating technology will be utilized for all Championships and qualifying match courts, covering the 'out' and 'fault' calls previously made by line umpires," the club stated in a Wednesday announcement.
Tournament officials indicated that the decision to implement ELC, which builds on existing ball-tracking and line-calling systems, followed thorough testing during this year's Championships.
Since 2007, Hawk-Eye technology has supported officials on select courts, allowing players to challenge line calls.
"The choice to introduce live electronic line calling at the Championships was made after a considerable period of evaluation and consultation," said Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club.
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| (FILES) A line judge stands in position as a ball hits the back netting after a serve during the men’s doubles semi-final tennis match between Britain’s Henry Patten and Finland’s Harri Heliövaara, and New Zealand’s Michael Venus and Britain’s Neal Skupski, on the eleventh day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 11, 2024. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP) |
"After reviewing the testing results from this year's Championships, we believe the technology is sufficiently reliable, and the timing is right to take this significant step toward achieving maximum accuracy in officiating.
For the players, it will provide them with the same conditions they have experienced at various other events on tour."
“We are deeply committed to maintaining a balance between tradition and innovation at Wimbledon. For many years, line umpires have been integral to our officiating framework during the Championships, and we sincerely appreciate their dedication and service.
Additionally, the All England Club has confirmed that the men’s and women’s singles finals will now commence at 4:00 pm local time (1500 GMT) on the tournament's final weekend, a shift from the previous start time of 2:00 pm.
Next year’s Wimbledon is scheduled to run from June 30 to July 13.