The French Open will retain human line judges for 2026, making it an exception amongst tennis’ Grand Slams as others will use digital line calling.
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) confirmed the choice in an announcement, through which it stated it “will continue to show off the excellence of French umpiring, which is recognised across the world”, based on vp Lionel Ollinger.
Roland Garros stays the one Grand Slam to not implement digital line calling.
“We are a federation where umpires and line judges work every day and, I say this with all humility, we are the best country for providing officials on the tour,” stated FFT president Gilles Moretton.
“We take delight on this, we’ve a powerful coaching system. We’re a benchmark and we wish to keep that approach.
“The federation’s will is to keep line judges as long as possible; right now, the players are driving the train. If one day they unanimously say: ‘We won’t play without the machine,’ we’ll see… But I believe we have a bright future ahead to preserve this officiating pyramid.”
On the 2025 version of the match, 404 match officers had been current, together with 284 French representatives from all French leagues.
Wimbledon adopted digital line calling (ELC) in 2025, leaving the French Open because the final of the 4 tennis majors to make use of people to adjudicate whether or not a ball has landed in or out.
As an alternative, officers depend on marks left by gamers’ pictures on the Roland Garros clay.
The road judges make an preliminary choice, earlier than the chair umpire verifies any contentious ball marks on the gamers’ request.
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Aryna Sabalenka was sad with a umpire’s name throughout her match with Elise Mertens, so she took an image of the ball mark with a cell phone!
Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev have used their telephones to take photographs of marks in the course of the European clay-court swing earlier this 12 months.
The Australian Open adopted ELC in 2021, whereas the US Open adopted it in 2022 after utilizing it on some courts in 2020.
ELC at Wimbledon
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Sky Sports activities Information’ Dan Khan offers perception into why Wimbledon have determined to switch line judges with electrical line calling
Wimbledon eliminated line judges earlier this 12 months with All England Garden Tennis Membership (AELTC) chief govt Sally Bolton describing the transfer as “inevitable”.
However Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper had been among the many gamers to query using digital line-calling within the match this summer season.
Raducanu stated: “It’s kind of disappointing that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part they’ve been OK. I’ve had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. Hopefully they can fix that.”
The previous US Open champion went on to confess she didn’t belief the know-how.
“No, I don’t,” she added. “I think the other players would say the same thing, there were some pretty dodgy ones but what can you do?”
Draper additionally queried the efficiency of the know-how in its debut 12 months at Wimbledon, suggesting calls had been missed throughout his second-round defeat to Marin Cilic.
“I don’t think it’s 100 per cent accurate in all honesty,” he stated. “A couple of the ones today, it showed a mark on the court.
“There is no approach the chalk would have confirmed that. I suppose it can’t be 100 per cent correct – it is millimetres.”
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The automated digital line-calling know-how on the Nationwide Financial institution Open remaining in Toronto malfunctioned in the course of the second set leaving the gamers confused and questioning the umpire
Swiss participant Belinda Bencic echoed the uncertainty over the system and pointed in direction of a standard outlook amongst gamers within the locker room.
“I also don’t trust it,” she stated earlier within the week. “Of course, you feel a little bit stupid questioning an electronic line call, but of course it always depends how it’s installed and how accurate it is.
“It is not solely me, you recognize. I really feel like I am watching different matches too, and I see gamers like saying the very same factor, complaining. And even on TV, you may see clearly some balls are out or lengthy or one thing.
“We players talk about it and I think most of us have the same opinion.”
System malfunction throughout Pavlyuchenkova win
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was denied a recreation after the digital line-calling system did not work throughout her win over Sonay Kartal at Wimbledon
Essentially the most controversial second of the Grand Slam was when a system malfunction resulted within the know-how being switched off for a recreation throughout Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s victory over Britain’s Sonay Kartal.
Solely did it change into obvious that the system had not been working when a shot from Kartal clearly landed past the baseline with out being dominated out, denying a bemused Pavlyuchenkova a 5-4 lead within the first set.
Umpire Nico Helwerth as an alternative introduced the sport to a halt and insisted the purpose ought to be replayed, paving the best way to Kartal breaking her opponent’s serve for a 5-4 benefit.
“You took the game away from me… they stole the game from me. They stole it,” stated Pavlyuchenkova upon returning to her chair.
Happily for Pavlyuchenkova the incident didn’t show pricey as she went on to beat Kartal 7-6 6-4.
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