ATP announces line judges to be fully replaced by technology
- Published
Wimbledon, whose line judges are part of the tournament's tradition, is not bound by the ATP's decision to remove human officials
Human line judges will be replaced by an electronic calling system on a full-time basis on the ATP Tour from 2025.
The ATP, which is the men's governing body, said the move will "optimise accuracy and consistency" in events.
Some tournaments have already scrapped human line judges, including the majors at the Australian Open and US Open.
"This is a landmark moment for our sport, and not one we've reached without careful consideration," said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.
"Tradition is core to tennis and line judges have played an important part in the game over the years.
"That said, we have a responsibility to embrace innovation and new technologies."
The electronic calling system has been widely adopted since the Covid-19 pandemic when tournaments looked to minimise human interaction.
It will be implemented across all surfaces on the ATP Tour, although the four Grand Slam tournaments continue to make their own decisions.
Wimbledon, played on grass, and the clay-court French Open have been reluctant to remove human judgement.
While Wimbledon allows players to challenge decisions using the Hawk-Eye system, the French Open has so far refused to introduce technology assistance.