Tennis players criticize AI line judges at Wimbledon for making faulty calls

British tennis star Emma Raducanu was one of the players to speak out, criticizing the technology after it missed a ball that her opponent had hit out. A television replay showed the ball was out, but it was ruled in, forcing her to continue playing, according to The Telegraph.

"It’s kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part they’ve been OK," Raducanu said. "It’s just, like, I’ve had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong."

Jack Draper, Britain’s No. 1 male player, also voiced doubts about the system, pointing out that some calls appeared not "100 percent accurate."

Beyond inaccurate calls, the ELC system has faced logistical issues. American player Ben Shelton was told to speed up his match after being informed that the AI system would soon stop working due to fading sunlight. Some players also reported problems with the automated speaker system, with one deaf player saying they could not determine when they had won a point without the human hand signals from line judges.

Britain's Emma Raducanu reacts during her second round match against Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova at the Wimbledon on July 2, 2025. Photo from Reuters

A notable malfunction occurred during a match between British player Sonay Kartal and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, when the technology failed to track a ball that had gone out. The umpire had to step in and instruct the players to replay the point. Wimbledon later apologized for the "human error," which was caused by the accidental shutdown of the system, as reported by the Associated Press.

This year marks the first time Wimbledon has replaced human line judges with the ELC system, which uses Hawk-Eye, a widely used electronic line-calling technology. Hawk-Eye employs 10 cameras around the court to track the ball’s bounce, claiming a margin of error of just 2.2mm. Previously, the system was used as a backup, allowing players to challenge calls made by human judges.

Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), defended the ELC, telling the BBC, "It’s funny, because when we did have linesmen, we were constantly asked why we didn’t have electronic line-calling because it’s more accurate."

However, despite these defenses, skepticism about the system’s accuracy continues to grow. Both players and coaches have expressed concerns over its reliability, The Guardian reported. With the tournament still ongoing, it remains uncertain whether the system will regain players’ trust.