Wimbledon, often revered as the most traditional of the Grand Slams, surprised the tennis world this year by replacing its iconic line judges with electronic line calling. But the shift to technology hasn’t come without its problems. British No.1 Jack Draper voiced his skepticism, stating he doesn’t believe the system is “100 per cent accurate.” Emma Raducanu even halted her match against Aryna Sabalenka to protest a call she felt was clearly wrong. But the biggest stir came during Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s clash with Sonay Kartal, when a shocking glitch forced tournament officials to issue formal apologies.
Kartal, the last Brit left in the women’s singles draw, struck a ball that clearly landed well beyond the baseline during the opening set. But the call never came. With no “out” signal from the system, Chair Umpire Nico Helwerth promptly paused play, contacted the ELC team, and controversially ordered the point to be replayed rather than awarding it to Pavlyuchenkova. What followed made matters worse when Kartal broke serve shortly after, and a visibly emotional Pavlyuchenkova was left in tears, telling Helwerth that the game had been “stolen” from her.
In the aftermath, a spokesperson for the All England Club confirmed that both players had received apologies after it was determined that the ELC system had malfunctioned during that game.The official statement read: “We have had the opportunity to undertake further investigation, including speaking to the players, Chair Umpire, Hawk-Eye operators and Review Official. It is now clear that the live ELC system, which was working optimally, was deactivated in error on part of the server’s side of the court for one game by those operating the system.”
Wimbledon confirm that the electronic line-calling system was deactivated for a whole game in Kartal vs Pavlyuchenkova.
Three calls were missed: the first two were made by the chair umpire, who was not aware the system was down. After the third missed call, the match was stopped
— James Gray (@jamesgraysport) July 6, 2025
It was also acknowledged that three incorrect calls were missed during that time. The first two were judged by the chair umpire, unaware the ELC system wasn’t functioning. “Following the third, the Chair Umpire stopped the match and consulted with the Review Official. It was determined that the point should be replayed. The Chair Umpire followed the established process. We have apologised to the players involved,” the statement concluded.
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