The French Open is now the only Grand Slam still using line judges, as the All England Club has announced their removal at Wimbledon.
The All England Club will eliminate line judges from Wimbledon after 147 years announcing the adoption of electronic line calling starting in 2025. This technology will replace the judges responsible for calling shots “out” and “fault” on serves. It will be implemented for all qualifying and main draw matches. This move aligns Wimbledon with the Australian Open and US Open which adopted similar technology in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
The ATP plans to implement Electronic Line Calling Live across the men’s tour by 2025 while the WTA Tour is also moving in that direction. With this decision, the clay-court French Open remains the only Grand Slam that has not abandoned line judges. Sally Bolton the chief executive of the All England Club, stated that the decision followed extensive testing and consultation.
She emphasized that the technology can ensure maximum accuracy in officiating. This will provide players with conditions similar to those they experience at other events. While chair umpires will remain, officials express concerns about the future of line judges and the next generation of officials. Historically, many British umpires began their careers as line judges.
This raises questions about whether individuals will still pursue this path now that they no longer have the opportunity to officiate at Wimbledon. The transition may reduce the human element of officiating. However, players generally agree that electronic line calling provides improved accuracy and consistency. Although the decision will lead to fewer jobs for line judges, it will create new opportunities for video review officials and match assistants.
These new roles will help manage the absence of line judges during matches. Along with the officiating changes, Wimbledon will adjust its finals schedule. The tournament will move the singles finals to 16:00 BST to align with the other Grand Slams. This change aims to enhance the experience for fans and ensure the finals receive a large worldwide audience.
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