After 147 years and 138 editions, Wimbledon will replace line judges with electronic refereeing, marking a significant technological shift since the tournament’s inception in 1877. This modern update also comes alongside changes to match scheduling, with revised timings to accommodate the tournament’s evolving structure and audience demands
The Grand Slam announced on Wednesday that starting in 2025, for its 138th edition, line judges will no longer be part of the prestigious British competition. The decision, made by the All England Lawn Tennis Club and the Management Committee of The Championships, will introduce live electronic line calling. This transition aligns with the ATP, which plans to implement the Hawk-Eye system at all its events. Hawk-Eye, an automated alternative system, has been gaining popularity since 2020, providing greater accuracy and consistency in officiating.
This change means that when a ball lands out of bounds or a serve misses, it will no longer be a human line judge who calls “out” or “fault,” but rather an automated system. Additionally, players will no longer have the option to request a review of a point, as seen in today’s matches with the challenge system, such as those in Shanghai. This adjustment will be implemented starting with the next edition of Wimbledon following the success of tests conducted in 2024.
The All England Club will follow the example set by the Australian Open and the US Open. Since 2007, Wimbledon has used Hawk-Eye technology to assist umpires on select courts, allowing players to challenge line calls made by line judges. However, beginning in 2025, this system will be fully automated across all courts, including those used in the qualifying rounds at Roehampton, eliminating the need for human line judges entirely.
Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, explained, “The decision to introduce live electronic line calling at The Championships was made after a significant period of consideration and consultation.
“We believe that the technology is sufficiently robust and that the time is right to take this important step in the search for maximum precision in our refereeing. For the players, it will offer the same conditions under which they have played in other events on the circuit,” Bolton added.
Schedule changes
Additionally, Wimbledon is adjusting its schedule for the final days of competition. The provisional schedule for the final weekend has been modified, with the doubles finals now set to begin at 13:00 local time. Following that, the singles finals will take place at 16:00 local time, with the men’s and women’s finals occurring on the second Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The schedule for the singles semi-finals remains unchanged, and the mixed doubles final is still provisionally planned as the third match on the second Thursday.
“We have adjusted the provisional schedule for the final weekend of The Championships with the ambition of improving the experience for everyone involved,” said Bolton.
