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Andrea Gaudenzi, CEO of the ATP, has announced that from 2025 line judges will no longer be present in the ATP Tour. The major tournaments of the ATP Tour will rely exclusively on the support of technology, specifically the Electronic Line Calling Live system.
ELC will also provide a comprehensive overview and monitoring throughout all ATP tournaments providing comprehensive stats at the end of each match. Gaudenzi explained: "This is a historic moment for our sport, and we have come to it after much thought.
Tradition is at the heart of tennis, and line judges have played a vital role for decades. But we have the responsibility to adapt to technological innovations. Our sport deserves to have the most precise form of officiating possible, and we are delighted to make it available on our entire circuit starting in 2025." Technology has once again got the better of the history of tennis.
You have to stay at the cutting edge of technology to keep up with the times, but tennis is based on centuries-old traditions, which are now being distorted.
Tennis says goodbye to a historic rule: here's what happened
A revolution that has been announced for some time and which will become a reality in 2025.
Two Grand Slam tournaments have already eliminated line judges since 2021. These are the Australian Open and the US Open. In Flushing Meadows a rather controversial episode probably hastened the process. Novak Djokovic, after losing a game, unintentionally hit the chair umpire with a ball.
The referee could do nothing but disqualify the Serbian, absolute favorite in that edition. Over the years there are many tennis players who have risked suffering the same measure. Nick Kyrgios at Indian Wells, Jenson Brooksby at Miami and Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon.
The Greek, in particular, touched some spectators in the front row causing the reaction of his rival, or Kyrgios. The Australian reminded the chair umpire of the episode involving Djokovic at the US Open in 2020. The task of calling the famous out, fault or foot fault will be entrusted to recorded voices.
The ball boys will still be present on the pitch, no longer obliged to provide the players with towels as in previous years.