Wimbledon, French Open under pressure to follow Australian Open in adopting electronic line calling

After a series of trials that started in 2017, the governing body of the men’s tour is now satisfied that the automated system can be rolled out across all regular tournaments on the circuit. It claimed the move will “optimise accuracy and consistency” on all surfaces.

While the Australian Open and US Open have both followed the ATP in adopting for electronic line calling, organisers of Wimbledon and the French Open have been reluctant. The All England Club previously cited tradition as one of the main reasons for retaining the services of the well-dressed line judges, while officials at Roland Garros pointed towards the fact that the accuracy of a call can quickly be checked on clay through the mark of the ball.

However, if the switch to a full-time automated system on the ATP Tour proves popular with the players, both tournaments are in danger of criticism for failing to move with the times. Wimbledon has already been forced into adopting the tour-wide policy of allowing coaching from the stands at this year’s championships despite various All England Club officials insisting they were against it and in favour of retaining the sport’s gladiatorial element.

The ATP said the decision to switch to automated line calling came after extensive research. The system was trialled at the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals for players aged 21 and under, and widely adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic when tournaments were keen to reduce the number of people on the court because of social distancing.

“This is a landmark moment for our sport, and not one we’ve reached without careful consideration,” Andrea Gaudenzi, the ATP chairman, said. “Tradition is core to tennis and line judges have played an important part in the game over the years. That said, we have a responsibility to embrace innovation and new technologies.”

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An automated system requires only one human official rather than up to ten. The chair umpire controls proceedings while cameras are used to track the ball and determine whether shots have landed in or out. Automated voice calls are made within a tenth of a second. Wimbledon will continue to use human line judges at this year’s championships, which will require about 300 people to cover 18 courts for two weeks. The Hawk-Eye challenge system, in operation since 2006, will allow players to dispute decisions.

One concern not addressed by the ATP is that full-time use of electronic line calling will affect the quality of umpiring. Many of the world’s best officials started their careers as line judges, but those seeking to become a chair umpire in the future are now unable to gain this experience across the main tour.

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Originally published as Wimbledon, French Open under pressure to follow Australian Open in adopting electronic line calling