Wimbledon’s fully automated line-calling system is facing mounting criticism after another high-profile error disrupted Taylor Fritz’s quarter-final victory over Karen Khachanov. The glitch, one of several reported during the tournament, has reignited debate over replacing human line judges with technology.
Faulty Call Causes Replay in Fritz Match
In the fourth set of Fritz’s 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4) win, Swedish umpire Louise Azemar Engzell was forced to halt play when a “fault” was incorrectly called on a forehand that landed inside the baseline. The issue stemmed from the system tracking Fritz’s serve rather than the rally, prompting a replay of the point.
Tournament organizers explained that the ball system failed to reset because a ball kid was still retrieving the first serve when Fritz began his second serve motion. As a result, the system misidentified the start of the point.
Ongoing Issues with Automated Line System
This is the latest in a series of malfunctions with Wimbledon’s new technology. Earlier in the week, a major error in Sonay Kartal’s fourth-round loss saw a shot from her opponent land clearly out but go uncalled by the system. British players Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have also raised concerns during the tournament.
Wimbledon is using a fully automated line-calling system for the first time in 2025, joining the Australian Open and US Open in phasing out human line judges. However, growing doubts are being raised about its reliability.
Players Divided on Tech vs. Tradition
Despite the malfunction, Taylor Fritz defended the system. “It happens sometimes… I still think it’s much better to just have electronic line calling,” he said. “You don’t have to challenge or argue, it’s just called, and that’s it.”
Karen Khachanov, on the other hand, voiced skepticism. “Electronic line calls have to be precise, but we’ve seen a couple of mistakes,” he said. “Sometimes it’s scary to let machines decide everything.”
What’s Next?
Fritz advances to his first Wimbledon semi-final, where he’ll face the winner of the Carlos Alcaraz vs. Cameron Norrie clash. Meanwhile, pressure continues to build on Wimbledon organizers to fix the glitches and rebuild player trust in the technology.
