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Roland Garros will keep line judges for the 2025 French Open, making it the only Grand Slam not using automated line-calling, citing clay’s unique ball marks.
(Credit: AFP)
The French Open will remain the last Grand Slam tournament to use line judges after the French Tennis Federation (FFT) confirmed on Monday that Roland Garros will not adopt automated line-calling technology for next year’s event.
The clay-court major is now the lone outlier among tennis’ flagship tournaments, after the Australian Open, US Open, and most recently Wimbledon have all opted for fully electronic systems, eliminating on-court officials for line calls.
“At the next Roland Garros tournament, the FFT will continue to showcase the excellence of French officiating, recognised worldwide,” the federation said in a statement.
Why Roland Garros Is Different
Tournament organisers argue that clay presents unique conditions.
Marks left on the surface by the ball provide a visible reference, making human judgment more reliable than cameras or electronic sensors. Umpires and line judges often inspect the mark directly in disputes, a tradition that has long been part of the Paris showpiece.
The decision comes even as the ATP Tour fully embraced automated line-calling for the 2025 season.
Whether this traditionalist stance will hold in future editions remains to be seen, but for now, the Paris Slam is doubling down on preserving its distinct character.
(with agency inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
September 29, 2025, 23:49 IST
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