Fans of the sport’s most polished spectacle are embroiled in a bitter dispute over a dramatic innovation that marks a break with 147 years of history.
Wimbledon today announced that the iconic linesmen on every court at the tournament will be replaced by artificial intelligence.
The Hawk-Eye Live system has been used on tour for a number of years and was rolled out for the first time at a Grand Slam at the 2020 US Open.
It is an upgrade to the original technology, which was first introduced at tennis’s premier competition in 2007, and has given players the ability to review calls they believe are incorrect.
Inevitably, the uprooting of one of the most essential features of one of the most famous sporting events has caused some controversy among divided fans along the way.
Fans of sports’ most well-behaved spectacle are locked in a bitter debate over a dramatic overhaul
Wimbledon today announced that its iconic linesmen will be replaced by artificial intelligence
The Hawk-Eye Live system has been used on tour for a number of years
Inevitably, uprooting one of the most essential features of one of the most famous sporting events has caused some controversy
A slew of supporters have taken to social media to support the implementation of automated electronic calling (ELC), with some praising the progressive idea.
James R Kennedy posted on
Professor X said: ‘Technology replaces human supervision.’
Another user added: ‘Good news…. Line judges are outdated anyway.’
And one simply posted: ‘Love this change!’
It is believed the organizers did not come to the decision lightly, citing concerns about the breaking of Wimbledon’s stalwart tradition and the effective dismissal of dozens of line judges.
The league employs more than 300 field officials each year covering more than 650 matches over the fortnight.
The employees, aged between 18 and 80, work one hour on and one hour off and operate as a team.
The team of line judges takes part in the awards ceremony after Carlos Alcaraz’s victory in 2023
John McEnroe (left), who is now a leading commentator, is one of the least surprising proponents of the new technology, having regularly railed against referees’ calls
It is believed the organizers did not come to the decision lightly, with concerns over the effective dismissal of dozens of line judges being taken into consideration.
However, some things will remain the same, with the chair umpire continuing to lead the officiating team
They generally come from Britain and, with some elite exceptions, take on the work as a part-time job in addition to a regular job. Civil servants are paid up to £180 a day.
Combined with Queen’s Club’s decision to do the same, the move to ELC has led to growing concerns about the trajectory of referees in this country, after Australian tennis saw a drop in the number of referees and line judges after the Australian Open rolled out the technology three had introduced. years ago.
And Chip Skylark used social media, along with hordes of other detractors, to draw attention to this fact.
“First self-service checkouts and now this,” they said. Computers are stealing everyone’s jobs.’
Meanwhile, Matt Baker added: “They’re typical Wimbledon, they may not have made the right decisions at times but that’s what Hawkeye is for, don’t throw them away because of the technology, just get them back on the court.”
Others disagreed with breaking a tradition that has lasted nearly a century and a half.
Miss Mac wrote: ‘What’s next, AI referee? AI players?
‘@Wimbledon, some traditions are worth standing apart for, especially if Hawkeye is running to cover the less than ten percent line review error rate.’
A slew of supporters have taken to social media to support the implementation of automated electronic calling (ELC).
Matthew added, “Whatever happened to respecting tradition?”
And Mark Doig evoked John McEnroe’s 1980s catchphrase, intended for when one of the line judges made a decision he disagreed with.
‘You can’t be serious!!’ he said.
McEnroe, who is now a leading commentator, is one of the least surprising proponents of the new technology, previously saying: ‘If you have equipment that is accurate, sorry, you have to go with that.
“Maybe I wouldn’t talk to you now because of the antics and maybe I would have won more, but I would have been more boring.”
The existing judging system will now also be abandoned, as automated voice calls can now make a decision within a tenth of a second after a ball has landed.
Several cameras will be able to monitor the flight of the ball during the rally while an additional video operator watches in a separate room, away from the field.
Some things will remain the same though, with the chair umpire continuing to direct the officiating team at the heart of the action, but the edges of the pitch will take on a decidedly calmer feel from 2025 onwards.
Hordes of opponents have pointed out the importance of tradition and the livelihood of line judges
The move to ELC may come as a shock to devoted fans of the annual event, but to tennis stars the technology is familiar.
Hawk-Eye Live has been gradually installed in tournaments around the world and the Men’s ATP Tour has clearly expressed its desire to implement it in every competition from next year.
This means the All England Club was at risk of being left behind as technology rushed into the future, still burdened by annual controversies over tight decisions at key moments.