Wimbledon has made the decision to replace its line judges with AI now. The tournament has made a move away from its traditions. This idea to use AI was made by the All England Club, and the new system has already become a big deal and discussion among players, fans and officials.
The tournament now uses Hawk-Eye Electronic Line Calling, which a system built by the Sony-owned company Hawk-Eye Innovations. It uses camera footage from up to 18 different angles to track the tennis ball and decide if it is in or out.
From there, a voice then announces the decision in real time. The old team of 300 line judges has been cut down to 80, who now help the chair umpire in case something goes wrong with the tech.
Sally Bolton, Chief Executive of the All England Club, said the change was made to improve accuracy, especially as serves continue to get faster. She told media this was not a money saving decision, but a way to keep the matches fair and smooth on fast moving grass courts.
How Are Players Feeling About The New System?
Not all players are fully convinced about the new tech. Yuan Yue, who played in the women’s draw, said she found the AI system too quiet and could barely hear the calls. She asked the referee to turn the volume up, but was told it could not be changed. She explained that other tournaments using similar systems did not have this issue.
World number one Jannik Sinner gave a more supportive view. After his win over Luca Nardi, he said that on grass courts, it can be very hard to see where the ball lands, especially when serves come at more than 200 kilometres per hour. In those situations, he believes the system helps the umpire a great deal.
Meanwhile, Italian player Fabio Fognini and Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz both appeared confused during their opening match. Although AI makes the call, the chair umpire still has the power to overrule it. This safety net has been kept in case of any clear errors or tech issues.
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What Are The Complaints From Fans And Former Officials?
A few tennis fans and past officials have spoken out about what they feel has been lost. The most common concern is the removal of drama from the court. Without human line judges and the option to challenge calls, fans feel that part of the energy and suspense is gone.
Jess from Oxford, speaking to Reuters, said she missed the moments when a player would challenge a call and the crowd would wait for the slow-motion replay. She described that as part of the emotional rhythm of the game, where everyone claps and cheers, or even boos, depending on the outcome.
Pauline Eyre, who worked as a line judge at Wimbledon for 16 years, said the computer-generated voices used in the calls lack confidence. She described the calls as sounding like someone unsure of their decision. This awkwardness, she believes, changes the feel of the match.
Hawk-Eye says the system can track the ball to within 3 millimetres and sends out a decision in 1/10 of a second. It also adds that live images of the ball are still checked by people, which provides some more review. The company’s tools are already used in the US and Australian Opens, as well as in sports like football, volleyball and rugby.
