Wimbledon removes line judges after 147 years in favor of electronic system

(CNN) — For the first time in its 147-year history, Wimbledon will be removing line judges from all of its courts during the tournament.

The All England Club announced on Wednesday that from the 2025 championships onwards, electronic line calling (ELC) will be used after it was successfully tested in 2024.

ELC will replace the line judges who call “out” or “fault” during a match and will also be used in Wimbledon qualifying ahead of the tournament.

Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Club, said the decision was taken after a “significant period of consideration and consultation.”

She said in a statement: “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.”

The Australian Open became the first grand slam to remove line judges and use ELC on all courts in 2021, with the US Open - which had previously used it on some courts - following suit in 2022.

ELC is now a common feature at tournaments around the world and the ATP, the governing body of men’s tennis, announced last year that it would adopt ELC across the tour from 2025 onwards.

Wimbledon’s adoption of the technology leaves the clay-court French Open as the only remaining grand slam yet to implement ELC.

However, Coco Gauff has already called for video technology to be implemented in Paris after she was on the wrong end of two controversial decision this summer, first at the French Open and then during the Olympics.

The-CNN-Wire

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