“It's weird”, “I'm disappointed”: the disappearance of line judges in tennis in favor of technology leaves people perplexed

Line judges have definitely disappeared from tennis courts since January 2025, replaced by a state-of-the-art "hawk-eye". A development over time, but one that leaves one perplexed.

It was only a matter of time. Now it's over. Since the beginning of 2025, the iconic line judges, often recognizable by their looks depending on the tournament, are no longer on the tennis courts. As everywhere, technology and artificial intelligence have gotten the better of them. “It was an inevitable progress. There is no longer any reason to keep line judges”, admitted Novak Djokovic, the record holder for Grand Slam titles (24). Only Roland-Garros has managed to escape the new regulation.

So the distinctive cries of these shadowy characters are over. No more requests for verification from players on a contentious decision. Make way for the era of Electronic Live Calling Live (ELCL), a state-of-the-art “hawk-eye” with 99% reliability. Around the court, a battery of cameras analyze the speed of the ball, its position in the air and foot faults. Even the biggest servers can’t fool the machine, shots at 240 km/h are not a problem to detect. Recorded voices announce the fault.
Visually, the tennis courts are less crowded. At the Open Occitanie, the players seem very alone among the ball boys and the chair umpire.

“In any case, we adapt quickly”

“The court was almost empty, it was weird in the first tournaments”, admits Arthur Cazaux. “I'm disappointed, I don't think it's such a good thing, even if there are fewer mistakes”, regrets Richard Gasquet. “I think that when it's the player who asks for the hawk-eye, it adds a little something. And it's nicer for the public”, analyses the 38-year-old player. He is nevertheless delighted “that the line judges are maintained at Roland”.

Read also: “It was not the last time I did Béziers-Montpellier by car”: Richard Gasquet delighted with his victory in the first round of the Open Occitanie

Not as long on the circuit as his elder, born in Sérignan, Cazaux (22 years old) is more measured. “It's a big change for tennis. But for us players, not so much. In any case, we always adapt quickly”, says the Montpellier native. Nevertheless, he confesses the charm of the challenge: “I liked asking for the hawk-eye to know if I was right, to show the referee that I was right.”

Like any change, a time of acceptance is necessary.