No British summer is complete without scores of tennis fans funneling into Wimbledon venues.
The scene has remained largely unchanged since 1877, with two players on a grass court separated by a net, ball boys or girls and judges sprinkled around, and line judges carefully watching and waiting to call “out”
That’s been the norm for close to 147 years.
However, the historic tournament will see a significant revamp starting next year as Wimbledon will no longer have line judges peering over the game in a pivot to AI.
The automated electronic line calling system (ELC) will be used across all Wimbledon matches’ courts.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club, which houses the Wimbledon venue, said on Wednesday that it had decided to pivot to ELC after “a significant period of consideration and consultation.”
“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,” AELTC’s chief Sally Bolton said in a statement.
The move is part of an upgrade of an existing tool, the Hawk-Eye challenge system, that the tennis championship has used for nearly two decades. Typically, about 300 line judges are involved in the tournament, standing with eyes transfixed on the court to decide if a ball is “in” or “out.”
As one of the four “Grand Slam” tournaments, Wimbledon’s games have long followed norms, including when new balls are introduced.
The pivot from a century-old tradition to a more modern system would help maintain the championship’s high standards, which human line judges could otherwise impact, The Times reported.
ELC has been used experimentally in past tournaments, particularly during the pandemic. Wimbledon, which attracted over half a million guests in 2023, will be the latest high-profile championship following the Australian Open and U.S. Open to use the automated system.
An automated system from next season would also mean that players may not be able to challenge decisions, owing to the precision of the technology. Chair umpires will still remain.
Disputes between players and judges have become common and don’t always end well. Serena Williams, for instance, was fined $10,500 for lashing out against one of the judges during the 2009 U.S. Open semi-final.
John McEnroe, an illustrious American tennis player, had been in the crosshairs of line judges before. He has argued for the sport to embrace technology and its advanced features for at least a decade.
The new changes won’t change anything for players, AELTC’s Bolton reaffirmed.
“For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour,” she said.
AI has made inroads in sports in more ways than one. Paris Olympics this year saw the technology being applied in various ways, including sifting through game clips and creating “digital twins” of match venues to facilitate planning. AI has also become an important part of spotting and training talent across sports like football and rugby.
