Wimbledon, the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament, is preparing for a radical change in its officiating system starting in 2025. After 147 years of tradition, the All England Club announced it will eliminate line judges and replace them with the Electronic Line Calling system (ELC). This technological advancement has already been implemented in other tournaments such as the US Open and the Australian Open, but now Wimbledon will take the leap towards full automation on its 18 courts.

The decision, reported by the British newspaper The Times, involves the removal of around 300 line judges who played a crucial role in determining whether a ball was in or out. With this system, the famous player “challenges” that allowed them to review umpire decisions will also disappear, as the technology will provide an almost error-free experience. However, chair umpires will remain in place for the tournament.

[Follow SportsIn on Instagram for more stories!]

The ELC has been tested for several years in major tournaments and has proven its effectiveness and accuracy. According to Wimbledon organizers, the ball-tracking technology has been operational for many years and has demonstrated reliability. The tournament has traditionally been conservative in its changes, as reflected by its strict all-white dress code, but this decision shows its willingness to adapt to technological advancements.

This change also signals a broader trend in the tennis world towards technological optimization. Following this announcement, Roland Garros remains the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments still using human line judges. However, it is expected that this tournament will also adopt the technology in the near future, given the growing pressure to modernize the sport.

Sally Bolton, Chief Executive of the All England Club, thanked the line judges for their contributions over the years and noted that this step was taken after extensive studies and trials. “The technology has advanced enough to ensure maximum accuracy in our officiating, without losing respect for the tradition that characterizes Wimbledon,” Bolton said. With this advancement, the tournament aims to offer players competitive conditions in line with other major events on the international circuit.