The world of tennis is taking a giant leap towards technological innovation with Wimbledon announcing that it will replace its iconic line judges with an electronic ball detection system from 2025. The move marks a major shift in the grass-court tournament, long associated with the image of elegantly dressed line judges, as iconic as strawberries and cream, and the white uniforms required of players.
Wimbledon’s decision to follow the trend of other international tournaments is aimed at “balancing tradition and innovation”. Indeed, the men’s ATP Tour has already announced the widespread adoption of electronic ball detection technology from 2025, with the aim of optimising the accuracy and consistency of calls during tournaments. The WTA is also following suit, further strengthening the position of electronics in professional tennis.
Having been used successfully at the Australian Open and US Open, electronic ball detection technology is attracting increasing interest within the industry. However, Roland Garros remains the exception among the four Grand Slam tournaments, continuing to favour human line judging. Wimbledon’s decision to introduce live electronic line judging follows extensive testing at the tournament this year.
The All England Club has announced that the new system will be rolled out across all courts at the tournament, covering ‘out’ calls and fouls previously judged by line judges. The decision is the result of careful consideration and extensive consultation, demonstrating the tournament’s commitment to ensuring highly accurate officiating.
All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton stressed the importance of balancing tradition with innovation, while acknowledging the contribution of line judges over the decades. The move to live electronic line judging will provide players with a similar playing environment to those seen at other events on the tour.
In parallel, the Club has also announced that the men’s and women’s singles finals will start at 16:00 local time on the final weekend of the tournament, pushing back the usual 14:00 time slot. This change is intended to provide a better experience for spectators at the venue.
Next year’s Wimbledon therefore promises to introduce a significant change in the way the tournament is run, skillfully blending tradition and modernity to deliver a cutting-edge experience for both players and spectators. This is a new era for tennis, where technology and history come together to shape the future of the sport.