Wimbledon issues an apology to Pavlyuchenkova and Kartal over incorrect line-judgment incident
In an unprecedented turn of events at Wimbledon 2025, a malfunction in the electronic line-calling (ELC) system during the fourth-round match between Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal has caused quite a stir. The incident, which occurred during a tense first set, led to a key officiating error and raised concerns about the system's reliability.
The malfunction was traced back to human error that resulted in the technology being accidentally switched off on part of the court for one game. This unfortunate incident prevented the correct call from being made when a backhand from Kartal clearly sailed long, with no call coming from the system. The chair umpire, unaware of the system failure, decided the point should be replayed.
Pavlyuchenkova, expressing frustration, accused the officials of bias, stating that "You took the game away from me" and "They stole the game from me." Kartal, on the other hand, defended the umpire's handling of the situation, stating that it was the fairest way to handle the situation.
The incident resulted in three missed calls during that game, two of which were made by the umpire who was not informed of the system’s deactivation until this particular point highlighted the issue. The All England Club has apologised to the players involved and has reviewed their processes to make appropriate changes.
The controversy, however, did not deter Pavlyuchenkova, who went on to save a set point in the next game and dominated the tiebreak, sealing a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win in just over two hours to reach the quarter-finals.
It is worth noting that the French Open remains the only Grand Slam still using human judges, while similar systems have been used across the ATP and many WTA events, as well as at the Australian Open and US Open. The malfunction has once again brought into question the system's reliability, with Pavlyuchenkova even questioning whether the home crowd and British opponent might have played a role in the malfunction.
Wimbledon organisers have also acknowledged the issue and have apologised to both players. As the tournament continues, it will be interesting to see how they address this issue moving forward to ensure such incidents do not occur again.
- The malfunction in the electronic line-calling system at Wimbledon 2025 has raised questions about the system's reliability not only in tennis, but also in other sports, technology, and major events.
- Amidst the growing concerns about health and safety, it is crucial for organizations to invest in maintaining and updating their technologies to minimize errors and ensure fairness.
- As news of the Wimbledon malfunction spreads worldwide, it prompts discussions on the role of technology versus human error in important historical events, including political voting processes, medical diagnoses, and more.
