Wimbledon to replace human judges with electric line-calling in 2025

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Wimbledon is replacing human line judges with electric line-calling.

The All England Club announced Wednesday that technology will be used to give the "out" and "fault" calls at the championships from 2025, eliminating the need for human officials to make them.

The Australian Open and U.S. Open have already eliminated line judges, and only have chair umpires on court. The U.S. Open hasn’t had line judges since 2021, when they installed Hawk-Eye Live electronic line-calling used for all courts. 

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The Wimbledon logo at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on June 27, 2020. (AELTC/Bob Martin via USA Today Sports)

Wimbledon’s switch to electric line-calling leaves the French Open as the only Grand Slam tournament without some form of electronic line-calling.

Wimbledon organizers said the decision to adopt live electronic line calling was made following extensive testing at the 2024 tournament and "builds on the existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology that has been in place for many years."

"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," Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, said. "For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour."

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Stan Wawrinka jokes with a line judge during his men's singles match against Reilly Opelka during Wimbledon, July 3, 2019.  (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

The line judges at Wimbledon were famously dressed in elegant uniforms, and for tennis diehards, were part of the setting that makes Wimbledon. 

Bolton said Wimbledon had a responsibility to "balance tradition and innovation."

"Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at the championships for many decades," she said, "and we recognize their valuable contribution, and thank them for their commitment and service."

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Line judges concentrate during a match at Wimbledon in London, July 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

While line-calling duties will be handed over to technology in 2025, Wimbledon has long been using technology to call whether serves are in or out. 

The All England Club also said on Wednesday that the women's and men’s singles finals will be scheduled to take place at the later time of 4 p.m. local time on the second Saturday and Sunday, respectively – and after the doubles finals on those days.

Bolton said the moves have been made to ensure the day of the finals "builds toward the crescendo of the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles finals, with our champions being crowned in front of the largest possible worldwide audience."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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