"A Historic Moment for Our Sport": When the ATP Says Goodbye to Line Judges

After years of experimentation, the ATP officially adopted the ELC across the entire tour in 2023. A decision that promises unparalleled accuracy but profoundly disrupts the tradition and very essence of tennis.

© AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 11/12/2025 à 16h22

2 min to read

Extraits de Dossiers

ATP definitively approved the arrival of ELC in 2023

To minimize the risk of errors as much as possible, the ATP adopted an automatic electronic system (ELC, Electronic Line Calling) in 2023. This allows knowing in a fraction of a second whether a ball that is a bit too close to the lines is in or out of the court. The ELC also automatically detects any potential foot faults on serves.

A process that was first used during the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2017. This also marks the end of line judges in tournaments starting from the 2025 season.

Tennis almost dependent on technology

"This is a historic moment for our sport. Tradition is at the heart of tennis, and line judges have played an important role over the years," said Andrea Gaudenzi, president of the ATP, after the announcement of the implementation of the ELC in 2023.

"That said, we have a responsibility to embrace innovation and new technologies. Our sport deserves the most accurate officiating system possible, and we are thrilled to be able to implement it across our entire tour starting in 2025," justified the Italian executive at the time.

Moreover, three of the four Grand Slams have also introduced this method: only Roland-Garros, which is played on clay, continues to use line judges during its annual fortnight. The debate over the arrival of Hawk-Eye and video at Porte d'Auteuil continues to rage in the world of the little yellow ball.

Video available in major ATP tournaments starting in 2025

Introduced in 2018 during the Next Gen ATP Finals, video assistance has also made its appearance. Very popular in team sports such as football and rugby for several years, it allows correcting wrong decisions made by referees during certain phases of play.

In tennis, it can be used to see if a ball bounced twice on the other side of the net. The ATP announced in February 2025 that all Masters 1000 tournaments would now benefit from video, which is a major advancement.

"Chair umpires will be able to review decisions, including 'not up' (double bounces), faults, 'touch' (if an opponent touches the ball), 'hindrance' (interference during a point), score errors, and potential disqualification situations. This will make officiating more accurate.

This follows a revolutionary year for the sport. For the very first time, all professional tournaments, across all surfaces, use the electronic live fault detection system, as part of ongoing efforts to provide the most accurate standards possible for players and fans," stated the ATP in early 2025.

Find the full investigation

Find the full investigation "Technology in Tennis: The Challenges of New Officiating, Between Tradition and Dehumanized Modernity," which will be available in full on the weekend of December 13 on TennisTemple.