Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tennis tournament, will certainly be perfect when it starts next week, but its courts won't be the same without line judges.
For the first time in the tournament's 148-year history, the men and women stationed at the back of the courts, who shout "out" and "volt" every time the ball goes out of bounds, will be absent.
Last October, the Grand Slam tournament announced that it would abandon its umpires and their elegant uniforms and adopt an electronic line judge (ELC) system starting in 2025, following the trend in tennis.
The Australian and US Opens preceded Wimbledon in adopting this approach, and the French Open remains the only Grand Slam tournament still using human umpires in this role.
Wimbledon is known for its rich traditions, from the white uniforms worn by the players to the strawberries and cream served to the fans and the lavish flowers that adorn the courts.
But the All England Club must balance this unique heritage with innovation.
Tournament director Jamie Baker emphasized this point in an interview with AFP this week.
"We are fully integrated into the wider tennis ecosystem, and the wider tennis industry, in everything we do. This is something we've been talking about for many years because we've seen how things are going," the former professional said.
"As you can imagine, for us, balancing tradition and innovation is something we factor into almost every decision we make."
Baker emphasizes that Wimbledon is keen to protect its heritage, including the "untouchable" white dress code, which he says is now more strictly enforced than it was two decades ago.
But the former British number two emphasized that the integrity of the competition is paramount. He said: "First and foremost, we have to improve the organization of the competition. This is a very important part of everything. Players now expect, across the professional game at the highest level, that line scores be announced in this way."
Baker believes that players who are accustomed to this technology will be the least likely to notice the change.
The decision to switch to the electronic system, which relies on ball-tracking technology and the current line scores, was made after extensive testing at last year's tournament.
Since 2007, Hawk-Eye has assisted umpires at Wimbledon on certain courts, where players were able to appeal a number of decisions.
This technology has added a new element for viewers. There was a sense of excitement and anticipation when the umpire signaled a video replay of a line judge's decision, followed by rhythmic applause as it was displayed on the big screen.
More than 450 cameras have been installed this year at Wimbledon and in qualifying at nearby Roehampton, where machines are making decisions previously made by humans.
However, approximately 80 former referees will be employed as assistants, two on each court to support the main referee and provide backup in the event of an electronic system failure.
Does the removal of line judges take away some of the magic of Wimbledon?
Baker sees the opposite. "I think it's a huge positive for us in terms of the actual look and feel of the court, and the Wimbledon branding—green grass courts, players in white tennis—is instantly recognizable."
He adds, "So the more emphasis on that, the better. But also, if we go back to the nature of the sport itself, it's a one-on-one, and the focus has to be on everything that's happening on the court."
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