Wimbledon will never look the same as tennis championship DITCHES line judges for first time in 147-year history

WIMBLEDON have ditched line judges for the first time in its 147-year history.

And that will mean the Championships will never look the same again.

PA:Press AssociationWimbledon are set to replace line judges with Hawk-Eye Live[/caption]

BBCThe challenge system was first introduced in 2007[/caption]

Tennis fans know Wimbledon is synonymous with the men and women calling “fault”, decked out in their expensive Ralph Lauren outfits.

And although the Hawk-Eye challenge system has been used at the tournament since 2007, the decision has been made to fully replace the line judges with AI.

It is understood the All England Club were reluctant to make the switch from people around the lawns to electronic line calling (ELC).

Chair umpires will remain.

However, the 300 officials will now be sidelined with the automatic Hawk-Eye Live system taking over across all 18 tournament courts including Centre Court – plus at qualifying in Roehampton.

Chief executive of the AELTC Sally Bolton said: “The decision to introduce Live Electronic Line Calling at The Championships was made following a significant period of consideration and consultation.

“Having reviewed the results of the testing undertaken at The Championships this year, 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.

“For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.

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“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 and we recognise their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service.”

Hawk-Eye Live was first used for a Grand Slam during the 2020 US Open at the height of the pandemic and has been continued in New York before also being adopted by the Australian Open.

It means the razor-sharp cameras pick up when shots land out and automatically trigger an “out” call over the PA tannoy system.

ELC is deemed to be the most accurate way of ensuring line calls are consistent – rather than having humans make the judgement which players can challenge up to three times incorrectly in a set.

The Hawk-Eye Live format, though, is much quicker and eliminates the need to challenge because the tech is used in real-time – a tenth of a second to be precise.

The reaction to the move is likely to be split.

Fans adore the tradition of Wimbledon and this change feels like a key part of the furniture being ripped away.

But the players will no doubt appreciate the transition, especially because the men’s ATP Tour is upgrading to ELC for all its events from the 2025 season.

John McEnroe, whose famous catchphrase “you cannot be serious” stemmed from arguments over line calls, has previously approved the introduction of ELC.

He said in 2023: “If you have equipment that’s accurate, I’m sorry, you have got to go with that.

“Maybe I wouldn’t be talking to you now because of the antics and maybe I would have won more, but I would have been more boring.”

Wimbledon also announced a major change to their schedule on finals weekend.

Both singles finals will now start at 4pm rather than 2pm – with a doubles final before each at 1pm.

The Hawk-Eye Live system will remove the need for challengesHandout

Times Newspapers LtdJohn McEnroe approves of electronic line calling after his rows with umpires[/caption]

What it’s like to be a Wimbledon ball kid

By Alison Maloney

WHILE the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Andy Murray keep us entertained during this summer’s Championships, spare a thought for those unsung heroes that keep the tournament going.

Personal trainer Alex Crockford, now 33, served as a ball boy at Wimbledon in 2005 and 2006, and has lifted the lid to SunSport on what it’s really like.

“Standing still for hours is one of the toughest parts of being a ball boy,” he says.

“It’s quite strict and you don’t want to let your team down or feel like you’re doing a bad job.

“I remember one really hot day, I clearly hadn’t fuelled or hydrated myself appropriately.

“I did have a very faint moment, and started seeing blurry stars.

“There are six BBGs on the court and a captain, which was me, so I was standing to the left of the umpire chair and I was away from my water.

“I had to go outside of my position, get some water and re-balance myself before I could continue.”

Click here to read Alex’s ball boy story in full.