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Forbes
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Wimbledon Has Removed Line Judges But AI Can't Override Its DNA
France's Richard Gasquet collides with a line-judge as he competes against Netherlands' Botic Van De ... More Zandschulp during their men's singles tennis match on the sixth day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 2, 2022. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images) Stefan Edberg won Wimbledon twice and understood that the tournament's DNA resonated beyond the tennis. 'For me, and most of the other players, too, if you had to pick one of the four Grand Slams, you would pick Wimbledon. It's got tradition, it's got atmosphere, and it's got mystique,' said the former World No. 1 in an interview with the Independent in 1996. Almost thirty years ago is eons in tennis technology. Part of that mystique and atmosphere was the line judges in their resplendent All England Club apparel. When Hawk-Eye technology was introduced to the Championships for the first time in 2006, computerized ball-tracking was deemed necessary to minimize human error. For its 148th edition, the AELTC has introduced electronic line calling to replace all line judges following the Australian Open and the U.S. Open implementation in 2021 and 2022. That sense of human interaction, surrounded by the force of nature that is grass has been central to Wimbledon's casting. This year's official poster offers the picture postcard of the English Garden; elegant, classy and other-worldly. The real Centre Court felt naked on Monday without those men and women marching to their official postings. Carlos Alcaraz looked lonely out there during his five-set fight against Fabio Fognini. The shouts of 'out' come from the staff at the grounds which at least gives some element of vocal recognition. Frances Tiafoe lost to Britain's Cameron Norrie on Wednesday and misses the 'fanfare' that the juxtaposition of officials and technology brought. 'If I were to hit a serve on a big point, you go up with the challenge, is it in, is it out? The crowd is, like, 'ohhh'. There's none of that," said the American. Lauren Pedersen, CEO of SportAI, a company that uses AI-powered sports technique evaluation, feels that technology doesn't have to mute the drama. 'For a sport like tennis, where so much of the detail is in the movement, the timing and the precision, technology can make those invisible elements visible,' says Pedersen, who used to play on the NCAA Division 1 circuit. 'AI tools like heatmaps, real-time analysis and swing comparisons can give viewers a clearer understanding of what's unfolding, without taking away from the thrill or emotion. It's not about replacing important traditions, but using tech to add new layers of meaning that enhance how we connect with the game." Sometimes, Wimbledon's traditions have been turned over by the natural elements that are out of their hands. In 1991, the precious Middle Sunday had been a day of rest for 114 years until the British weather forced the club's hand. The gates were open to 'the most enthusiastic Centre Court crowd we've ever had,' according to the public address announcer. 'You don't often hear a soccer crowd at Wimbledon,' joked John McEnroe. A decade later, Goran Ivanisevic had his moment in front of a raucous 'People's Monday' crowd, the year that cellphones met the internet. Things change, and new audiences are there to be won. As Roger Federer once said, 'The title doesn't come to you.' Wimbledon needs to advance with AI and authenticity hand in hand. In the media huddle that preceded the opening Monday, current CEO Sally Bolton tackled the replacement of people with pinpoint pixels . 'Wimbledon has always balanced heritage and tradition with innovation. Line judges have been such an important part of the Championships for so many years and we will still have them around the ground as match assistants.' LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: People dressed as line judges protest against the hawkeye camera ... More technology introduced this year for line calling on day two of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 01, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) Once upon a time, the clear message was that Wimbledon wouldn't move its product for anyone. The clash between the men's singles final and the 2018 FIFA World Cup final was just one of those occasions. Now, the AELTC is quite happy to move their 2 pm slot to 4 p.m. to reach out to a far wider global audience. Wimbledon stands alone as a unique Slam, but it cannot be an island either. Technology connects continents. 'The goal is not to replace the human element, but to elevate it and make Wimbledon more engaging, transparent and accessible to audiences around the world, which is a clear priority of Wimbledon with moves like bringing The Hill to New Yorkers,' said Pedersen. A traditional analog life is the old school way that still has authentic lessons. It just can't serve fast enough for modern tennis. Wimbledon will stay white, retain The Queue and can serve strawberries and cream forever. Some things don't have to change.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Wimbledon's AI judges receive mixed reviews from players and fans
Line judges at Wimbledon may be a thing of the past. Photo: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP By Amy-Jo Crowley, Reuters The All England Club's decision to replace line judges with artificial intelligence technology at Wimbledon has received mixed reviews from players and fans alike. This week has marked the first time the tournament has been played without meticulously dressed judges determining whether the ball is in or out. The 300 line judges have been cut to 80 who are instead assisting chair umpires and interceding should the latest Hawk-Eye Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system, fail. The system uses AI to analyse footage from up to 18 cameras to track the progress of the ball and decide if it is in or out. The All England Club's chief executive Sally Bolton said the new system was brought in to ensure the calls were accurate and not to cut costs. "It's not a money-saving exercise; it's about evolving the tournament and making sure that we're providing the most effective possible line calling," she said. World number one Jannik Sinner told a press conference after his victory over fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi: "As tennis tries to get better for the umpire it's very difficult to see, especially when first serves are over 200km per hour, so it's very difficult to see in a small space if they're in or out, so for sure the technology helps, especially here on grass." The pristine grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in Wimbledon. Photo: GLYN KIRK However, other players found problems with the technology. On Tuesday, China's Yuan Yue complained that the system was too quiet for her to hear its decision. There were small protests outside the grounds against the technology, while some fans expressed sadness about the absence of line judges, a tradition that goes back to the 1870s, and the drama that often accompanies a player's challenge. "Tennis is a physical sport, but it's also a mental game and at a professional level I think that idea of challenging a call is really part of the game," Jess from Oxford told Reuters. "As a spectator when they review the footage and everybody is clapping, and it's the whole thing that this decision comes out and there's uproar or whatever. "It's sad that part of the atmosphere is gone, because you can't challenge the calls now. It's AI, it's resolute." Ivan from Northern Ireland raised concerns that the technology might have some teething problems. "It was strange not having a line judge. We watched a game on Court Two and a couple of times a ball from where we were sitting, which was close to the line, was out. "The player pointed to it and stopped and looked to the umpire, and he just ignored it, and the player accepted it. But I expected to see the replay. "There were a couple of other times when it was obviously out and obviously in and the replay came up. So the replays were not consistent." - Reuters
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Wimbledon have made controversial but correct decision – just ask the players
Wimbledon's decision to replace humans with technology, to favour ingenuity over tradition, was always going to prove controversial. The All England Lawn Tennis Club – a bastion of tradition, somewhere that puts a high price on heritage – decided this year to scrap line judges. Out with the 147-year old – 300 of them, to be exact – and in with the new: the Live Electronic Line Calling from HawkEye. The decision to take away jobs from human beings and hand it to AI is unpopular and topical in a world where many industries are embracing technology at a rapid rate. "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 in October. So this year, it is a dismembered voice that players and spectators hear when a ball lands out of the court. There are two of them, female and male, and there have already been some giggles from the crowd as they get used to the new system, which announces 'out!' even when the ball drops several feet from the baseline. But what has been noticeable after one day of play in SW19 is the lack of pushback from the players themselves. They are used to the system, which is already in place at the Australian Open and US Open and has also been embraced by the ATP Tour. Without the chance to challenge, decisions are simply accepted, however begrudgingly. The work of the chair umpire must have become easier overnight and, undoubtedly, the speed of play is up, with players unable to chance their hand with a speculative review in order to buy themselves a few more seconds to catch their breath. Challenges can bring added drama to proceedings, but more often than not they detract from the spectacle. Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova is one of the minority who has spoken out against the change. 'I mean, to be honest, I like the old traditional style, so I like it the old way,' she said. However, the prevailing mood is one of acceptance; of a small mourning for the loss of tradition but of happiness with the new black and white nature of line calls. 'Speaking as a player, we will have less discussion because I think it's really tough to judge, especially right now, with the ball going really fast,' said world No.7 Lorenzo Musetti. 'In the modern days, I think we will need more help from technology. I agree with this change, especially here on grass.' Cameron Norrie, who beat Roberto Bautista Agut on Court 18 on Monday, had no gripes whatsoever. 'To be honest, it's good,' he said. 'You get on with it. There's no kind of getting mad at anyone for missing a call or saying something or moving during the point or something happening. You get on with it.' The only grievances have been about the volume of the line calls. 'The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low,' said Yuan Yue, who played Eva Lys on court eight on Monday. 'I asked the referee can you [turn] it up a little bit. He said he cannot. He said he will try to let us know [the call] because he has a machine that can look it up. I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly.' That is a minor issue, which presumably can be rectified by HawkEye. So, looking beyond the wider moral issue of AI taking jobs away from humans, there is little to get worked up about. Wimbledon is a forward-thinking, extremely well-run event and their decision to evolve with the times has served to improve their product. In time, the call will be looked back upon favourably.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Wimbledon stars make feelings clear on 147 year change - "I think that kills it"
Wimbledon has entered its new era, which has seen it use technology instead of line judges, but the move has caused divide among a number of the players after the first day Wimbledon is underway but the championship is taking place without line judges for the first time in 147 years with one player claiming the fan experience has declined as a result. The decision was made to cut 300 of them and replace them with cameras, developed by HawkEye, that now do the job. It meant the play on Day One had a less than traditional look with no smartly dressed individuals being seen on any court, shouting "out" when the ball didn't quite hit the line. The change means that Wimbledon joins other Grand Slams, the US Open and the Australian Open, in embracing the modern technology. The switch though hasn't been universally well received after the first 24 hours with American's Frances Tiafoe among those to admit he misses the line judges. The 12th seed enjoyed the jeopardy that you got when a call came, with players then having the ability to challenge. That has now gone and a number of players admit they miss the old way. Tiafoe said: "I actually like [it] with them [line judges] on the court, because I think for fanfare it's better. If I were to hit a serve on a big point, you go up with the challenge, is it in, is it out? The crowd is, like, 'ohhh'. There's none of that. If I hit a good serve now and they call it out, you may still think it's in, but it doesn't matter. I think that kind of kills it." British star Cam Norrie, who was a semi-finalist at the All England Club several years ago, also believes the traditional ways added to the tournament. He said: "Obviously there's a lot of jobs and people that love tennis, which will definitely be missed from them." Norrie though did add: "As a player it's pretty black or white with the calls. In, out... there's no mistake, nothing happening. Definitely you've got to feel for those linesmen and those people. That's a bit tough for them, but it's pretty black or white with the calling." Article continues below The volume of the calls though has been raised as an issue. Line judges shouting "out" was hard to miss, but the new calls cannot always be heard, especially on the outside courts. Norrie suggested the calls were a bit quiet at the beginning of his match on court 18 but that there were no "bad calls". China's Yuan Yue, who played her first-round match against Germany's Eva Lys on court eight, said: "The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low. "I asked the referee can you [turn] it up a little bit. He said he cannot. He said he will try to let us know [the call] because he has a machine that can look it up. I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly. [The umpire's] voice is a lot more loud than the automatic one so we can hear that clearly."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I can't hear it' - Wimbledon's first day of electronic calling
Cameras have replaced the line judges who had been part of Wimbledon since 1877 [Reuters] Some players have said the calls are too quiet. Others say they miss the tradition. The absence of line judges at Wimbledon on day one of the Grand Slam has certainly been noticeable. For the first time electronic line calling has been introduced at the All England Club with the well-dressed line judges replaced by AI. Advertisement In the absence of the 300 line judges that have been used for the past 148 years, up to 18 cameras, developed by HawkEye, are situated around each court to track the progress of the ball and determine whether it is in or out. The technology is already in operation at the US and Australian Opens but its introduction at SW19 has been a topic of discussion. Court 'looks cool' with line judges but calls are 'black or white' The emptiness of the courts is noticeable on Centre Court and Court One, where the vast space behind the baseline is now occupied only by the ball kids. Britain's Cameron Norrie said it "looks cool" with the line umpires in place and contributes to the "tradition" of the tournament. Advertisement "Obviously there's a lot of jobs and people that love tennis, which will definitely be missed from them," he said. But while many players agree line judges are part of the spectacle, few can argue with the accuracy of the calls. "As a player it's pretty black or white with the calls," added Norrie. "In, out... there's no mistake, nothing happening. Definitely you've got to feel for those linesmen and those people. That's a bit tough for them, but it's pretty black or white with the calling." The theatre of players challenging the calls has also been a notable absence with fans unable to get involved with the drama of a close call being replayed on the big screen. Advertisement American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe said he would have liked to see Wimbledon keep line judges. "I actually like [it] with them [line judges] on the court, because I think for fanfare it's better," he said. "If I were to hit a serve on a big point, you go up with the challenge, is it in, is it out? The crowd is, like, 'ohhh'. There's none of that. "If I hit a good serve now and they call it out, you may still think it's in, but it doesn't matter. I think that kind of kills it." The absence of line judges on court was noticeable on day one of the Championships [Getty Images] 'I just want to hear it clearly' The voices broadcast by the technology at the All England Club are those of its behind-the-scenes staff and tour guides but they have at times seemed quiet. Advertisement More lively atmospheres mean the crowd can sometimes drown out the call, leaving players confused and uncertain. "The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low," said China's Yuan Yue, who played her first-round match against Germany's Eva Lys on court eight, an outside court where the hustle and bustle of fans moving around the grounds is constant background noise. "I asked the referee can you [turn] it up a little bit. He said he cannot. He said he will try to let us know [the call] because he has a machine that can look it up. "I don't really mind, I just want to hear it clearly. [The umpire's] voice is a lot more loud than the automatic one so we can hear that clearly." Advertisement Norrie also suggested the calls were a bit quiet at the beginning of his match on court 18 but that there were no "bad calls" and "you get on with it" when a call goes against you. There were also protests outside the grounds with some fans holding up signs to air their grievances that technology is taking jobs away from people. But, as tradition makes way for technology, cameras will now become as much of a fixture on the courts as the pinstriped shirts and smart trousers.
