Wimbledon Apologises After Electronic Line-Calling Technology Turned Off Mid Match
Wimbledon organisers have issued an apology after a malfunction in the new electronic line-calling system led to several missed calls during Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s match against Sonay Kartal. The system was accidentally shut off for part of a game on Centre Court, meaning three shots weren’t picked up, including a clear miss from Kartal that should have handed Pavlyuchenkova the game. Instead, chair umpire Nico Helwerth ordered a replay, and Kartal went on to break for a 5-4 lead.
The All England Club blamed “human error,” saying the server-side system was “deactivated in error” and not flagged to the umpire. “We have apologised to the players involved,” a spokesperson confirmed. Though Pavlyuchenkova eventually won the match 7-6 (3), 6-4, she didn’t hold back, telling Helwerth: “You took the game away from me... they stole the game from me.” She later said he admitted after the match to thinking the ball was out but had hesitated to make the call.
This year marks the first time Wimbledon has used full electronic calls, scrapping challenges and line judges entirely, unlike the French Open, which still uses both. The incident has reignited criticism from players and fans alike, with Pavlyuchenkova calling for video reviews like those used in football and U.S. Open 2024 finalist Taylor Fritz adding: “Why is [the umpire] there if he’s not going to call the ball?”
