The All England Club has announced that Wimbledon will break with tradition and replace line judges with electronic line calling starting next year. This decision comes after successful testing during this year’s championships. The Hawk Eye Live Electronic Line Calling (Live ELC) system will be used on all courts, including during the qualifying tournament.
The move to electronic line calling follows a trend in other Grand Slam events such as the Australian Open and US Open. The system, powered by Artificial Intelligence, reacts within one tenth of a second of the ball landing, ensuring increased accuracy in line calls. While popular with players, the decision will likely disappoint traditionalists and mark the end of arguments over line calls that have become part of Wimbledon folklore.
Chair umpires will still be present to oversee matches, but the Hawk Eye challenges – where players can request a video review of a close call – will no longer be part of the game. The elimination of line judges also means the end of their physical presence on the court, avoiding potential injuries from fast-paced serves.
The All England Club’s chief executive, Sally Bolton, emphasized the importance of balancing tradition and innovation at Wimbledon. She acknowledged the contributions of line judges over the years while recognizing the benefits of the new technology. The change will offer players consistency with other events on the ATP Tour that have already adopted electronic line calling.
Next year’s Wimbledon Championships are scheduled to take place from June 30 to July 13. This marks a significant shift in the long-standing traditions of one of the most prestigious tennis events in the world.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com