This year, Wimbledon decided to fully replace line judges with an electronic line-calling system, but instead of a revolution, we got chaos and a scandal that will be remembered for a long time. During the match between Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal, the system made a catastrophic mistake — a ball that was out was not recognized because one of the 12 cameras was turned off with a single click! Yes, you read that right, the entire technology meant to replace the human eye failed because someone accidentally switched off a camera. The umpire had to replay the point, and Pavlyuchenkova eventually won 2-0 in sets. Wimbledon’s CEO Sally Bolton admitted the system should have been active and that line judges should not have been brought back on court. This technology, which uses 12 cameras to track the ball in real time and create a 3D court map, was first used at the Australian Open four years ago and is now implemented at all ATP tournaments except Roland Garros. Still, players like Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu have already expressed dissatisfaction, claiming the technology makes mistakes and decisions are often wrong. Is this the end of line judges or just the start of technological chaos in tennis? One thing is clear — Wimbledon is in trouble, and we’re watching how technology meant to bring fairness only brings confusion and doubt. Got thoughts on this madness? Drop a comment below — maybe together we’ll find out who turned off that camera and why!
