This year, line judges vanished from the iconic lawns of Wimbledon as AI-powered electronic calls took over, aligning SW19 with Melbourne, New York, and the ATP Tour, while Paris still holds on to the human eye. The move, driven by the pursuit of razor-sharp accuracy, stripped away one of the sport’s most enduring visuals. But with every leap forward, there’s turbulence. For Emma Raducanu, that change hit hard. Now, having bowed out of Wimbledon this year after her intense battle with Aryna Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu is once again calling out the latest change at the All England Club, hinting that the adjustment may have cost her the tournament.

At just 22, Emma Raducanu pushed the 3-time GS champion and top seed Aryna Sabalenka to the edge, before falling 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in a fiery showdown. But the tension didn’t end on the court. In the aftermath, during her post-match press conference, Raducanu faced questions about the tournament’s bold new move, AI line calling. The 2021 US Open champion was visibly dissatisfied with a call midway through the first set of her match against Sabalenka and was seen speaking to the chair umpire about it.

“I mean that call that was like for sure out. It’s kind of, you know, disappointing, you know, the tournament here that the calls can be so wrong, but you know, for the most part, they’ve been okay,” she added. “It’s just like I’ve had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. So yeah, I don’t know. Hopefully, they can kind of fix that.” It wasn’t just frustration; it was a call for refinement in a system not yet as precise as promised.

And Emma Raducanu’s frustration isn’t unfounded. In her recent clash against top seed Aryna Sabalenka, a tearful Raducanu voiced her concern over the accuracy of Wimbledon’s newly introduced electronic line calling (ELC). At one pivotal moment, she even turned to the chair umpire and asked, “You saw it out as well, right?”, referring to a Sabalenka first serve at 2-4, 15-0 that appeared to miss the line on replay. That questionable call gifted Sabalenka a floating return, which she smashed away with a clean forehand to take control of the game and eventually hold serve, an essential step in her comeback from an early deficit.

Raducanu’s remarks come hot on the heels of similar complaints from fellow British men’s top seed Jack Draper, who voiced his doubts after a narrow second-round loss to Marin Cilic. “I don’t think it’s 100 per cent accurate, in all honesty,” Draper said. “A couple of the ones today, it showed a mark on the court. There’s no way the chalk would have showed.” His words echo a growing concern shared by both players and fans in this year of transition.

This marks the 1st time ELC is being used at the All England Club, replacing the long-standing tradition of line judges. For many, their absence is more than visual, it changes the soul of the game. The elegant figures who once stood stoic behind the baseline are now replaced by invisible AI precision, and the shift hasn’t come without resistance.

And if you thought Emma was the only one raising questions, think again. The system has already sparked debate among players and spectators alike. Like any bold change, this one will take time to settle, because when tradition meets technology, there’s always a rocky road before the dust clears.

Players react to the new Electronic Line-Calling system

The All England Club embraced a bold new era this year with the introduction of an AI-powered electronic line-calling system developed by Hawk-Eye. Using up to 18 high-speed cameras to track every ball in real-time, the system can deliver a decision within a tenth of a second. But in classic Wimbledon style, there’s a unique twist, those crucial calls are vocalized using pre-recorded voices of actual All England Club staff, adding a human touch to machine precision.

Outside the gates, fans expressed mixed emotions, some playful protests, some genuine concern, and the players’ reactions on court have been just as varied. In the men’s draw, Carlos Alcaraz and Fabio Fognini were seen questioning calls made by the system, seemingly unaware that the ability to challenge decisions, once a dramatic staple of GS tennis, is now a thing of the past. That alone marks a dramatic shift from tradition to tech.

On the women’s side, Chinese player Yuan Yue pointed out a new kind of issue, the system’s voice volume. “The voice, I cannot really hear it, it is a bit too low,” she noted. Despite asking the referee to increase it, she was told it wasn’t possible. While she remained unfazed overall, Yuan emphasized the need for clearer communication, especially when the umpire’s voice rings louder than the automated calls.

That disconnect in sound delivery has created a surreal matchday experience. During Cameron Norrie’s 1st-round battle on Court 18, viewers heard “fault” calls in the young voice of a ballboy, while “out” calls were announced by adult staffers, their tones varying mid-match. On outer courts, spectators described disembodied voices echoing from nearby matches, further adding to the sensory confusion.

So, the question now arises: Do these robotic whispers enhance the game’s integrity or rob it of its tradition and clarity? What do you make of Wimbledon’s brave new direction? Share your thoughts below.

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