'It's disappointing': Tennis stars Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper hit out Wimbledon's AI line calling

5 July 2025, 12:32 | Updated: 5 July 2025, 13:04

Tennis stars Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have questioned the accuracy of the new electronic line calling technology at Wimbledon.

A fully automated system has replaced human line judges – whose calls could be challenged using electronic reviews – for the first time at the Championships this year.

However, the technology has been criticised by Raducanu as "disappointing" while Draper expressed doubts it is "100 per cent accurate."

Ms Raducanu went even further after feeling one call in particular, when a Sabalenka shot was ruled to have clipped the line, was wrong.

“That call was for sure out,” said the 22-year-old after her intense 7-6 (6) 6-4 defeat by the world number one.

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“It’s kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part they’ve been OK. I’ve had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. Hopefully they can fix that.”

Draper previously queried one serve from Marin Cilic during his second-round loss on Thursday.

He said: “I don’t think it’s 100 per cent accurate, in all honesty. A couple of the ones today it showed a mark on the court. There’s no way the chalk would have showed.”

However, Wimbledon tournament director's Jamie Baker has defended the AI model and insisted its accuracy was "robust.

The technology has become standard across the tour, with all ATP Tour events and a lot of WTA ones no longer using line judges.

The same system operates at the Australian Open and the US Open but the French Open remains an outlier, so far eschewing any form of electronic system.

Mr Baker said according to The Guardian: "The concept of live line calling is absolutely standard across the tour now – mandatory across the ATP tour. Two of the other grand slams have had it for four or five years.

“What that has meant also actually [is] that the level of sophistication and certification around the system has become more professional and more robust as time has gone on.

“The accuracy and the reliability and the robustness of the system and the process as a whole, in terms of officiating, is in as good a place as it has been for tennis.”

This year, Wimbledon also rolled out Gen AI-powered analysis for those watching grass court matches available for fans through its Wimbledon.com website and app.

The conversational assistant responds to questions, such as which player has won more tie-breakers or break points, with insights delivered instantly.

LBC has contacted Wimbledon for comment.