Axed Wimbledon officials to get help from British tennis bosses after being replaced by AI

The All England Club has confirmed it will help officials remain involved at Wimbledon after

From 2025, the electronic line system will be used to automatically call balls out at all Wimbledon main draw and qualifying matches, rather than using line judges.

The Lawn Tennis Association is also exploring ways to recruit and retain match officials in the sport.

On Wednesday, the AELTC announced their decision to join the other Grand Slams in using electronic line calling. The US Open and Australian Open have already been using the automated system for several years.

The French Open has already announced plans to adopt ELC next year, while the technology will also be implemented at key tournaments on the ATP Tour.

It means match officials in Britain will no longer be able to work two of the biggest tournaments - Wimbledon and the ATP 500 at Queen's - as line judges, posing a problem for those who see the grass-court Grand Slam as the highlight of their year in officiating.

But the All England Club is working to keep them involved in the tournament. A spokesperson told : "We are working to ensure that opportunities exist for as many officials as possible to remain involved with The Championships."

The Australian Open and US Open could serve as an example, as both Majors already use ELC. There are still roles available for trained lines judges at both Slams, including those of match assistants and umpire assistants.

The LTA has also confirmed they are working with the Association of British Tennis Officials to support match officials.

"We understand the reasons behind the AELTC's decision to introduce live electronic line-calling and we recognise the ongoing changes to officiating around the world," the British body for tennis said.

"With this in mind we are already working with ABTO to understand the impact on the pathway for British officials, and develop a new joint strategy with them that will ensure officials can be retained within the sport, new officials can be recruited and the officiating community will be supported through the changes."

According to , the ABTO held a survey on the introduction of ELC and found that almost half of officials would not want to work at lower-tier tournaments if Wimbledon is no longer an option.