Wimbledon 2025: AI line judges to net sensors - Technology takes Centre Court at SW19

Wimbledon 2025 embraces AI with tech upgrades like replacing line judges and launching 'Match Chat' on its app. Fans now enjoy smarter engagement and real-time insights, with predictions and analysis enhancing the viewing experience.

Charm of Wimbledon now co-exist with wave technological innovations

The third Grand Slam of the year, Wimbledon, has its own charm and heritage, blending its traditions with modernity. For almost 150 years, the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam event has enthralled the tennis fraternity but also global audiences with its elegance, prestige, and enduring legacy.

In the ongoing edition of Wimbledon, the legacy is still alive, but it now co-exists with wave technology innovations, given that the future of tennis increasingly leans on AI-driven systems. The Hawk-eye technology has already been in place since 2007, but there are other cutting-edge innovations in 2025, perceiving how the sport is played and watched.

No longer human line judges

All England Club, the main organizer of the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam, has set an unprecedented benchmark by fully replacing human line judges with AI-powered systems, becoming the first Major event to rely on technology for line calls. Wimbledon moved on from line judges, who wore blue-and-white striped shirts and white bottoms, retiring the iconic visual tradition that was part of the tournament’s tradition for 148 years.

The AI-powered system, integrated with Hawk-Eye technology, will come into play during tight calls, when real-time tracking and accuracy are crucial to determining whether the ball clipped the line or out, allowing players to quickly move to the next point without delays.

However, the challenging system, where the players previously could contest the line call, has been discontinued, which sparked massive criticism from a section of tennis fans, deeming it unfair.

Interactive AI assistant

One of the technological innovations by Wimbledon was the introduction of the interactive AI assistant, which is called ‘Match Chat’ on the app. The prestigious grass-court Grand Slam is no stranger to the chatbot revolution, which has changed the lives of people over the past few years.

This year’s Wimbledon has introduced ‘Match Chat’ on their app, which can give answers to the fans’ questions during the live singles matches at the tournament. According to Daily Mail UK, ‘Match Chat’ is available on the Wimbledon app and can answer questions with regards to the live matches, like 'who is performing better in the match?' and 'who has converted more break points in the match?'.

Wimbledon has partnered with IBM to develop a chatbot on their app to enhance the engagement of the fans by providing real-time insights, players' information, and stats, and match analysis through AI-powered interaction.

AI-powered predictions

The Wimbledon app has also integrated AI-powered predictions on who will emerge victorious at the end of the tournament. According to Daily Mail UK, on the app, there is a section called ‘Likelihood to Win’, giving users a constantly updating verdict on who will become the champions across all categories, including wheelchair events, juniors, singles, and doubles.

For example, if the final is taking place between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at Centre Court, ‘Likelihood to Win’ shows that Alcaraz has a 60% chance of winning over Djokovic, who has 40% chance, based on live match stats, recent form, and historical data fed into the AI model.

But the prediction will fluctuate depending on the match and monumental shifts, players' performance, and historical trends fed into the AI model. Each prediction will be based on a detailed AI analysis of the players’ stats and live match data.

Net Sensors

One of the most essential parts of the game is that the ball does not touch the net before landing in the service box of the opponent. The player must ensure a clean serve to avoid a let, which previously relied solely on the line umpire’s judgment. With line umpires having been replaced with AI-powered systems, Wimbledon came up with an advanced net sensor technology.

According to the Daily Mail UK, there is a hidden sensor on top of the net to ensure that the ball takes a clean trajectory over the net during a serve. In case the ball hits the net during a serve, ‘piezoelectric’ devices would immediately beep, detecting the ball’s slightest contact with the net, and forcing the player for a second serve.

With line umpires no longer present on the court, the responsibility of detecting the net touches has entirely shifted to these AI-automated systems.