Wimbledon stars disagree after tournament controversially scraps 147-year-old tradition

Some of Wimbledon’s top players have offered differing opinions on the All England Club’s decision to scrap line judges. The decision was taken back in October to move away from people in favour of technology.

The tournament, which begins on Monday in sweltering heat, will utilise Live Electronic Line Calling instead of the more traditional approach. Line judges have been used at Wimbledon for 147 years, but 300 officials have been replaced this year by the electronic system, which uses artificial intelligence to tell whether a ball was in or out.

"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,” chief executive Sally Bolton explained.

The decision moves Wimbledon in line with the Australian Open and US Open, which both already utilise the system, while all ATP Tour events have also embraced the technology. However, the move has been met with a mixed reaction, with some bemoaning the loss of tradition at the prestigious Grand Slam.

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Barbora Krejcikova, who won the women’s singles at Wimbledon in 2024, is not a fan of the change. “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,” she said.

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka also feels that Wimbledon has sacrificed some of its tradition with the move. “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, before discussing the merits of the technology, which she’s come to trust more over the years.

World No.7 Lorenzo Musetti gave an eloquent answer on the subject. “I mean, I think it's going to look a little bit strange because, of course, we have an enormous tradition here in Wimbledon,” the Italian said.

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“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.

“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.”

Meanwhile, world No.3 Alexander Zverev is sure that Wimbledon chiefs have made the right call. “I like the electronic system. I really don't mind it,” he said. “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.”