Can't you be serious? Wimbledon has abolished line judges after 147 years

The world's greatest tennis players will rage against a machine after calling a tight line at Wimbledon next year as the All England Club breaks with tradition by removing line judges from all courts during the championships for the first time in 147. – History of the year.

From 2025, live electronic line calling will be used on all courts for both the ELC – All England Club main draw and the off-site qualifying tournament at Roehampton. The new technology was successfully tested during this year's championship.

Wimbledon chief executive, Sally Bolton, said: “The decision to introduce live electronic line calling at the Championships was made after a significant period of consideration and consultation.

“Reviewing this year's test results, we believe the technology is robust enough and the time is right to take this important step to seek maximum accuracy in our performance.

“For the players, it will give them the same conditions that they have played in other events on the tour.”

While the move represents a historic shift for the tournament, it also simply reflects the direction the rest of the game has been heading for some time.

Wimbledon took the first step towards line-calling technology when it adopted Hawk-Eye technology for the 2007 tournament 17 years ago. Hawk-Eye and various other line review systems have long been present at most tournaments, allowing players to review line-calls through “challenges”, with the electronic review system having final authority over line calls.

As tennis tournaments return in 2020 after a pandemic hiatus and try to continue through Covid restrictions and social distancing regulations, a limited number of courts, including the 2020 US Open, have begun accepting ELCs.

In the intervening years, ELC has become common around the world and the consensus in tennis is that it has allowed for quicker and more accurate decisions. Top players have quickly adjusted to the new normal, and there are far fewer controversial calls when it's there.

The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tournament to be held without line judges on any court, and the US Open has decided to remove line judges in 2022. Last year, the ATP announced that ELC would be adopted at all ATP Tour events on every court after 2025. Wimbledon's announcement makes the French Open the only Grand Slam tournament to commit to the ELC so far.

But there is concern at the highest level about the disappearance of line judges. Some miss the larger human presence on the court, adding both positive and negative interactions between players and officials to spectators, while electronic review systems often add suspense and excitement during matches.

Most importantly, the killing of 300 line judges means fewer part-time opportunities for trained officials and will affect the path of aspiring chair umpires. Many chair umpires started out as line officers.

“We understand the reasons behind the decision to introduce live electronic line-calling and we recognize the ongoing changes in offices around the world,” LTA said in a statement. “With this in mind we are already working with the Association of British Tennis Officials to understand the impact on British officials' pathways and are developing a new joint strategy with them which will ensure that while officials are retained in the game, new officials can be. Recruiting and working communities will be supported through change.”

Additionally, the All England Club has announced a significant change to the schedule for the final weekend of the tournament. The singles finals traditionally started at 2pm but from next year, both the women's and men's singles finals on the second Saturday and Sunday will move to 4pm. The changes will provide a better viewing window for North and South American viewers and the women's final will now be the last match of the day along with the men's final