April 28, (THEWILL) – The ATP has announced that Electronic Line Calling (ELC) will replace on-court line judges at all of its events from 2025.
The ELC system, which has been tested in various forms at ATP events, uses technology to determine whether a ball is in or out. The move is expected to result in more accurate officiating, according to ATP Chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi.
While Gaudenzi acknowledged that line judges have been an important part of tennis, he also emphasised the need to embrace innovation and new technologies. He said: “Our sport deserves the most accurate form of officiating and we’re delighted to be able to deliver this across our whole Tour from 2025.”
ELC Live was first trialled at the NextGen Finals in 2017 and has gained popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic. The system has also been used at the US Open and Australian Open, but Wimbledon has yet to adopt it.
Players have welcomed the technology, which eliminates the need for them to challenge potentially incorrect calls and reduces human error. The ATP has approved multiple suppliers to provide ELC Live technology on hard courts and grass, with testing underway for clay courts.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
