Thank you Wimbledon line judges - All England club introducing electronic line calling

Starting in 2025, Wimbledon will retire its traditional line judges in favor of an electronic line-calling (ELC) system, marking a significant shift for the historic grass-court tournament. The announcement was made on Wednesday, highlighting a move that aims to blend the event’s long-standing traditions with modern technology.

For 147 years, the presence of line judges, dressed in their signature attire, has been as much a part of the Wimbledon experience as strawberries and cream or the mandatory all-white player uniforms. However, this change will align Wimbledon with other major tournaments that have already adopted similar technology.

In 2023, the ATP Tour revealed plans to adopt ELC across all its events starting in 2025 to enhance the accuracy and consistency of officiating. The WTA Tour soon followed suit. While the Australian Open and US Open have already integrated the technology, the French Open remains the only Grand Slam to maintain traditional line-calling methods.

"The officiating technology will be in place for all Championships and qualifying match courts and cover the 'out' and 'fault' calls that have previously been made by line umpires," it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Wimbledon will now adopt live ELC for all Championship and qualifying matches, covering all "out" and "fault" calls traditionally managed by line umpires. This decision follows a series of tests conducted during this year’s tournament, demonstrating the system's readiness for full implementation.

"The decision to introduce live electronic line calling at the Championships was made following a significant period of consideration and consultation," said All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton.

"Having reviewed the results of the testing undertaken at the Championships this year, we consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating.

"For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.

"We take our responsibility to balance tradition and innovation at Wimbledon very seriously. Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at the Championships for many decades and we recognise their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service."

Since 2007, Wimbledon has used Hawk-Eye technology on some courts, allowing players to challenge line calls. Now, the live ELC system will build upon that existing technology, offering real-time decisions without the need for manual line judges.

Bolton emphasized the importance of balancing tradition and progress at Wimbledon, acknowledging the decades of service line umpires have provided.

"Line umpires have been integral to our officiating for many years, and we are grateful for their dedication. This transition reflects our commitment to maintaining Wimbledon's heritage while embracing innovation," she added.

Additionally, the All England Club announced a change in the start time for the men’s and women’s singles finals. These matches will now begin at 4.00 PM local time on the final weekend, two hours later than the previous start time of 2.00 PM.

Next year's Wimbledon tournament is scheduled from June 30 to July 13, marking the last time line judges will be part of the iconic Championships before the new system is introduced.