Wimbledon stars in disagreement as chiefs controversially axe long-standing tradition

Wimbledon's decision to replace line judges with technology has sparked a variety of responses from the tournament's top players. The All England Club made the move in October, opting for Live Electronic Line Calling over human officials. The prestigious tournament, which kicks off on Monday amid soaring temperatures, will now rely on artificial intelligence to determine whether a ball was in or out. This marks a significant change for Wimbledon, which has used line judges for 147 years; this year, however, 300 officials have been replaced by the electronic system.

Sally Bolton, the chief executive, justified the move, stating: "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,".

This brings Wimbledon in line with the Australian Open and US Open, both of which already use the system, as do all ATP Tour events. However, the shift has received mixed reviews, with some lamenting the loss of tradition at the esteemed Grand Slam. Barbora Krejcikova, the women's singles champion at Wimbledon in 2024, expressed her disapproval of the change. She said: "I mean, to be honest, I like the old traditional style, so I like it the old way. With the new system, yeah, it's just the way it is."

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka also expressed her thoughts on recent changes at Wimbledon, highlighting the tournament's step away from tradition. "I feel like Wimbledon always been like with the line umpires and kind of like historically you see the referees there. So I don't know. Maybe I would prefer that," she said.

World No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti, however, praised the unique character of Wimbledon but conceded that evolving times call for adjustments. He added: "I mean, I think it's going to look a little bit strange because, of course, we have an enormous tradition here in Wimbledon.

"In terms of tour, in terms of, let's say, every tournament has its own line umpires. But of course, the elegance that was shown by the line umpires here in Wimbledon, was such a traditional thing, historical thing.

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"Of course, we are always trying now to evolve. I think also speaking as a player, we will have less discussion because I think it's really tough to judge, especially right now, what the ball is going really fast.

In the modern days, I think we will need more help from technology. I agree with this change, especially here on grass. I think that's the right thing that they decided."

Alexander Zverev has additionally voiced his approval for Wimbledon's decision regarding line-calling technology. "I like the electronic system. I really don't mind it," he claimed.

"I think there are some tournaments which it was not working well. I think Madrid it was not working well. There was multiple occasions where there were mistakes in it.

"All in all, I do think it makes the game more fair. I think there's no mistakes happening anymore. Generally speaking, I don't mind the electronic line system."