On Wednesday, the All England Tennis Club announced that starting in 2025, the championship will implement technologies that will signal "out" and "fault," eliminating the need for umpires.
Wimbledon organizers stated that the decision to replace umpires with AI was made after extensive testing during the 2024 tournament and is "based on existing ball tracking technology and line calling systems that have been in place for many years."
“We believe this technology is reliable enough, and it’s time to take this important step towards achieving maximum accuracy in officiating,” said Sally Bolton, the executive director of the All England Club. “This will provide players with more opportunities. For the players, it will ensure the same conditions they experienced at many other tour events.”
This decision makes the French Open the only Grand Slam tournament without an electronic system. The Australian Open and the US Open have already moved away from umpires, with only chair umpires present on court.