Wimbledon trades line judges for AI after 147 years

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Wimbledon tennis tournament is eliminating line judges, replacing them with electronic line-calling technology for the first time in its 147-year history.

Starting with the 2025 tournament, automated electronic line calling (ELC) will be employed on all 18 match courts, expanding the use of the Hawk-Eye system that has been in place for years.

Previously, players could challenge line calls made by judges, but now ELC will automatically determine in-or-out calls for every point. This system was first fully implemented at the 2020 US Open during the pandemic.

Despite initial resistance from the All England Club to adopt ELC due to tradition, organizers have concluded that human judges could compromise the championship’s high standards, as ELC is deemed significantly more accurate.

Automated voice announcements will indicate out calls within a tenth of a second, leading to the removal of the challenge system. A video operator will monitor the process from off-court, while the match umpire will remain the primary official.

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