This year’s Wimbledon Championships have marked the end of a 147-year tradition: the presence of line judges. In their place, artificial intelligence has taken over the responsibility of calling balls in and out, with a camera-based system now governing the boundaries of play. While the move aligns Wimbledon with other major tournaments like the US and Australian Opens, the change represents a significant cultural shift for the All England Club, long seen as a bastion of tennis tradition.
The new system uses Hawk-Eye technology, enhanced with AI, to track the ball using up to 18 cameras. When a call needs to be made, the system issues a decision in under a tenth of a second. In a nod to tradition, the AI’s voice notifications have been recorded using staff from the All England Club, offering a distinctly human twist to an otherwise robotic experience. However, the voices vary from one court to another, occasionally leading to confusion particularly when a call from a nearby court is audible mid-play.
Reactions to the system have been mixed. Some players seemed unaware that the right to challenge line calls had been removed along with the judges. In one early-round match, both players were seen appealing to the umpire over the new system’s verdict, not realising it was final. Others raised concerns about the volume of the automated voice, which was sometimes too soft to hear during noisy moments. One player noted that the voice was significantly quieter than a traditional umpire, making it harder to stay focused during key points.
Despite some teething problems, officials at the tournament defended the move as a necessary step toward accuracy and modernization. They emphasized that the decision was not about cutting costs but about enhancing the reliability of line calls. While around 80 former line judges have been reassigned as match assistants, many fans and spectators remain nostalgic for the human presence they once brought to the court.
Among spectators, the verdict has been equally divided. While some welcomed the greater precision and the continuation of “close call” graphics, others lamented the loss of human drama. The sight of a line judge locked in concentration at the back of the court, they said, added an irreplaceable theatrical quality to the game. For them, the shift toward automation, while technically impressive, feels emotionally detached.
As Wimbledon continues to evolve, the removal of line judges may be seen as a symbol of the broader tension between innovation and heritage that defines modern sport.
