
Andrew Castle snaps back at John McEnroe over controversial Wimbledon decision
This year's Championships are the first in 148 years to be played without traditional line judges.
The All England Club announced last year that it would be implementing automated electronic line calling from 2025 onwards.
ELC and hawk-eye is already used at every ATP event and two other Grand Slams, with the French Open now the only major still using line judges.
Most players have welcomed the development in SW19 but several have complained about calls and accused hawk-eye of getting some wrong.
ELC even failed during a match on Centre Court on Sunday, with the All England Club blaming the glitch on an 'operator error'.
Speaking earlier in the tournament, McEnroe revealed he was in favour of the change if it meant more correct calls while admitting the line judges would be 'missed' by spectators.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion was asked for his thoughts on the new system at the halfway point of the Championships and said he was still 'all for it', providing it is definitely accurate.
McEnroe was known for his outbursts at line judges and umpires, delivering his iconic 'you cannot be serious' catchphrase at Wimbledon in 1981.
'I'm the perfect guy to ask,' McEnroe said on BBC One. 'My hair is pretty white at this stage and I haven't got much left, I might have a little more if it wasn't for all of those line judges blowing those calls.
'The thing is, it needs to be right. I think they [hawk-eye] have said it's plus or minus 3mm but is that for sure? Who's done the testing?'
Castle interjected and pointed out that there were few complaints about the accuracy of hawk-eye under the previous system which allowed players to challenge calls they believed to incorrect.
'Did you like the previous system where players could challenge calls?' Castle asked McEnroe. 'Because this is the exact same system except there's no line judges and it's automatic.'
'I think they — and I wouldn't speak for them individually — probably recognise that with the evolution of the technology and the consistent change across many of the other tournaments that this is probably inevitable.
'So I think for many of them they had expected this change to come along and for those that will be joining us for the Championships in the match assistant role obviously they're delighted still to be part of delivering the Championships.
'The time is right for us to move on.'
Sally Bolton, Chief Executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club
'If it's accurate I'm all for it,' McEnroe said before Castle snapped back: 'It is accurate.
'It's only people that lose that say, 'I didn't think that was right.' You know, come on. Maybe on clay it's different and maybe it's still not perfect.'
McEnroe then said: 'If you say so.'
British number one Emma Raducanu claimed some 'very wrong' decisions were made by hawk-eye following her third-round defeat to Aryna Sabalenka. More Trending
Asked about an incident in which she approached the chair umpire to complaint about a call, Raducanu said: 'Yeah, I mean, that call was like, for sure out.
'It's kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part they've been okay.
'It's just like, I've had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. So yeah, I don't know. Hopefully they can kind of fix that.'
British men's number one Jack Draper raised similar concerns following his second-round defeat to Marin Cilic.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Wayne Rooney 'lands £800,000 Match of the Day deal' after Gary Lineker's exit
MORE: Pat Cash calls for 'emergency solution' after 'absolutely ridiculous' decision at Wimbledon
MORE: 'This is unusual' – Cameron Norrie's Wimbledon opponent accuses him of breaking 'rule'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BreakingNews.ie
23 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Wimbledon grounds hit by lightning amid ‘challenging' weather
A lightning strike hit the Wimbledon grounds on Sunday as the head of the tennis championships admitted weather conditions had been 'challenging'. Blustery conditions and rain overnight failed to dampen spirits in the queue for on-the-day tickets, with fans lining up in ponchos and under umbrellas. Advertisement Those travelling to Wimbledon also faced transport issues with 'severe delays' on the District Line from Edgware Road to Wimbledon because of a signal failure at Putney Bridge. Transport for London (TfL) said tickets were 'being accepted on London buses and South Western Railway' instead. All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said the tournament would have a 'catch-up' with TfL after the championships to look ahead 'in terms of investment into the District Line'. People in the queue remained jovial as they lugged sodden tents and camping chairs before the gates opened at 10am. Advertisement Spectators queue in rain ponchos under umbrellas on Monday morning (Mike Egerton/PA) Ms Bolton said no one was injured after lightning hit a car park at the Championships on Sunday. Speaking to the media on Monday, Ms Bolton said: 'I have to say the weather yesterday was really quite challenging. 'We did have a lightning strike in car park six. 'No one was injured, nothing got damaged, but it was just a reminder of the nature of adverse weather and always being prepared for that.' Advertisement Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz walks off the practice courts on Sunday during a rain spell (John Walton/PA) Asked whether TfL was providing adequate service to those attending Wimbledon, Ms Bolton said: 'We have an excellent relationship with TfL, we're working with them all year. 'You won't be surprised to hear that we have been speaking to them during the championships. 'We have been and remain clear with them that delivering an event of this scale in this part of London requires the infrastructure in this part of London to support us in doing that. 'They're very aware of that view, and we have arranged to catch-up with them after the championships, to look at not just what happened this year but also to look ahead in terms of investment into the District Line.' Advertisement The All England Club's plan to expand into a neighbouring golf course, adding 39 new courts, will be subject to a judicial review hearing this week at the High Court following a challenge by the Save Wimbledon Park group. Ms Bolton said the All England Club 'remain really confident that we'll make the progress we need to make'. Ground staff sweep water from the rain covers on an outside court on Sunday (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The All England Club chief executive added: 'The scheme we are seeking to deliver is all about safeguarding and enhancing the future of the championships, but also delivering fantastic benefits for the local community, including a new 27-acre public park. 'So we remain very committed and determined to deliver it, and excited about the opportunity of what it can do for both the Championships and the local residents.' Advertisement There were covers over many of the outer courts on Monday morning including No2 court after wet conditions overnight. Conditions are expected to improve through Monday with rain changing to sunny intervals by late morning, with a maximum temperature of 22C, according to the Met Office. The conditions followed a mixed bag of weather during the previous week – from blue skies and temperatures as high as 34C to overcast and rainy spells. Warm and sunny weather is forecast in SW19 for much of the rest of the week with temperatures predicted to hit 30C on Friday. British singles hopes at Wimbledon rest on Cameron Norrie after his gruelling five-set win followed Sonay Kartal's defeat on Sunday. He next faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday. Cameron Norrie celebrates victory following his singles win against Nicolas Jarry on Sunday (Ben Whitley/PA) Norrie, a semi-finalist in 2022, is only the third British man to reach the last eight more than once in the last 50 years, after Tim Henman and Sir Andy Murray. Kartal's loss to Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova included an embarrassing malfunction of Wimbledon's new electronic line-calling system on Centre Court. Organisers admitted the technology was turned off in error on a section of the court for a game, with the mistake only becoming apparent when a shot from Kartal that clearly missed the baseline was not called out. A Wimbledon spokesperson later said the technology was 'deactivated in error on part of the server's side of the court', the 'chair umpire followed the established process' and both players had received an apology. A minute's silence was observed at Wimbledon at 10.30am on Monday to honour the victims of the July 7 London terror attacks 20 years ago.


Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Magic potion, miracle pills and very dubious medical time-outs: As Novak Djokovic prepares to take on Katie Boulter's fiancé Alex de Minaur, will the wily veteran be up to his old tricks again at Wimbledon?
All eyes will be on Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon on Monday afternoon, with the former world No 1's antics stirring controversy at the All England Club. The seven-time champion, who faces Katie Boulter 's fiancé Alex de Minaur on Centre Court, has drawn attention during the first week of the tournament through his unorthodox use of 'miracle pills'. Given his history with left-field medical practices, many are wondering if the Serbian will once again rely on some unusual methods as the veteran looks to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals. In the first round, when playing against Alexandre Muller, Djokovic was feeling poorly and called for a medical timeout - only to welcome a remarkable transformation after a doctor helped improve his condition. 'I went from feeling my absolutely best for a set and a half to my absolute worst for about 45 minutes,' Djokovic said after his four set victory. 'Whether it was a stomach bug - I don't know what it is, but I just struggled with that. 'The energy kind of kicked back after some doctor's miracle pills and I managed to finish the match on a good note.' After taking the 'miracle pills', Djokovic won 10 of the next 12 games to storm to victory, a scintilating run that left tongues wagging among tennis fans. This is not the first time Djokovic's behaviour has created intrigue. Alongside 'miracle pills', Djokovic has outlined his belief in the benefits of drinking 'pyramid water', sticking to a gluten-free diet and avoiding talking negatively about food in order to not strip a meal of its nutrients. He is also obsessive when it comes to chewing, an action that must be focused on entirely. More recently, the star revealed during the Australian Open that he had been given a custom electromagnetic device designed to 'enhance metabolic function'. More often than not Djokovic is happy to expand on his beliefs, on food, on special water, on not getting vaccinated against Covid, and that was why his 'magic potion' spotted at previous iterations of Wimbledon became so intriguing. His bizarre Wimbledon drink habit became an even bigger story when he refused to reveal what was in the bottle. 'Magic potion, that is all I can say,' he said, when pressed. The 'potion' has since been unveiled as Djokovic's SILA electrolyte supplement, which is available for purchase by the masses and contains, as per the brand itself, 'CoQ10, Vitamins C and B12 for cellular energy', and 'proprietary nanotechnology for maximum absorption'. Those sitting in Djokovic's box have been spotted sporting SILA baseball caps, one assumes for maximum absorption of marketing. Given Djokovic's history when it comes to unorthodox off-court preparation, perhaps a story on his use of 'miracle pills' should come as no surprise. It should be noted, though, that the on-court doctors which supplied these pills are employed by the tournament. Djokovic has a good record against his next opponent, de Minaur, so he might not need the help of 'magic pills' this time around. On the four occasions the two have met, the Serbian has prevailed three times. The most recent was at Wimbledon last year, de Minaur pulling out of their quarter-final clash due to a hip injury.

Western Telegraph
26 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Wimbledon grounds hit by lightning amid ‘challenging' weather
Blustery conditions and rain overnight failed to dampen spirits in the queue for on-the-day tickets, with fans lining up in ponchos and under umbrellas. Those travelling to Wimbledon also faced transport issues with 'severe delays' on the District Line from Edgware Road to Wimbledon because of a signal failure at Putney Bridge. Transport for London (TfL) said tickets were 'being accepted on London buses and South Western Railway' instead. All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said the tournament would have a 'catch-up' with TfL after the championships to look ahead 'in terms of investment into the District Line'. People in the queue remained jovial as they lugged sodden tents and camping chairs before the gates opened at 10am. Spectators queue in rain ponchos under umbrellas on Monday morning (Mike Egerton/PA) Ms Bolton said no one was injured after lightning hit a car park at the Championships on Sunday. Speaking to the media on Monday, Ms Bolton said: 'I have to say the weather yesterday was really quite challenging. 'We did have a lightning strike in car park six. 'No one was injured, nothing got damaged, but it was just a reminder of the nature of adverse weather and always being prepared for that.' Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz walks off the practice courts on Sunday during a rain spell (John Walton/PA) Asked whether TfL was providing adequate service to those attending Wimbledon, Ms Bolton said: 'We have an excellent relationship with TfL, we're working with them all year. 'You won't be surprised to hear that we have been speaking to them during the championships. 'We have been and remain clear with them that delivering an event of this scale in this part of London requires the infrastructure in this part of London to support us in doing that. 'They're very aware of that view, and we have arranged to catch-up with them after the championships, to look at not just what happened this year but also to look ahead in terms of investment into the District Line.' The All England Club's plan to expand into a neighbouring golf course, adding 39 new courts, will be subject to a judicial review hearing this week at the High Court following a challenge by the Save Wimbledon Park group. Ms Bolton said the All England Club 'remain really confident that we'll make the progress we need to make'. Ground staff sweep water from the rain covers on an outside court on Sunday (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The All England Club chief executive added: 'The scheme we are seeking to deliver is all about safeguarding and enhancing the future of the championships, but also delivering fantastic benefits for the local community, including a new 27-acre public park. 'So we remain very committed and determined to deliver it, and excited about the opportunity of what it can do for both the Championships and the local residents.' There were covers over many of the outer courts on Monday morning including No2 court after wet conditions overnight. Conditions are expected to improve through Monday with rain changing to sunny intervals by late morning, with a maximum temperature of 22C, according to the Met Office. The conditions followed a mixed bag of weather during the previous week – from blue skies and temperatures as high as 34C to overcast and rainy spells. Warm and sunny weather is forecast in SW19 for much of the rest of the week with temperatures predicted to hit 30C on Friday. British singles hopes at Wimbledon rest on Cameron Norrie after his gruelling five-set win followed Sonay Kartal's defeat on Sunday. He next faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday. Cameron Norrie celebrates victory following his singles win against Nicolas Jarry on Sunday (Ben Whitley/PA) Norrie, a semi-finalist in 2022, is only the third British man to reach the last eight more than once in the last 50 years, after Tim Henman and Sir Andy Murray. Kartal's loss to Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova included an embarrassing malfunction of Wimbledon's new electronic line-calling system on Centre Court. Organisers admitted the technology was turned off in error on a section of the court for a game, with the mistake only becoming apparent when a shot from Kartal that clearly missed the baseline was not called out. A Wimbledon spokesperson later said the technology was 'deactivated in error on part of the server's side of the court', the 'chair umpire followed the established process' and both players had received an apology. A minute's silence was observed at Wimbledon at 10.30am on Monday to honour the victims of the July 7 London terror attacks 20 years ago.