Line judges out, AI technology in: Wimbledon breaks with tradition

THAT long-held Wimbledon tradition of line judges dressed in elegant uniforms is no more. The All England Club announced on Wednesday that artificial intelligence will be used to make the 'out' and 'fault' calls at the championships from 2025.

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Wimbledon organisers said the decision to adopt live electronic line calling was made following extensive testing at the 2024 tournament and "builds on the existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology that has been in place for many years."

"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," said Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club. "For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour."

Bolton said Wimbledon had a responsibility to "balance tradition and innovation."