Why Don’t We Trust Technology in Sport? A Closer Look at Wimbledon’s Electronic Line-Calling Incident
By Zoe Kleinman, Technology Editor
Published: 7 July 2025
On a recent Sunday afternoon at Wimbledon’s iconic Centre Court, an incident encapsulated the ongoing tensions between human judgment and technological intervention in sports. During a crucial point, Britain’s Sonay Kartal hit a backhand shot that clearly landed long. Her opponent, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, as well as the umpire, acknowledged the ball was out. Television replays confirmed it. Yet, the electronic line-calling system remained silent, failing to register the fault.
Minutes passed before the human umpire declared the point must be replayed. Pavlyuchenkova lost the replayed point and later confessed she felt the game had been “stolen” from her in that moment. She speculated aloud whether the error was related to Kartal being British. The real reason was less conspiratorial: the electronic line judge had been accidentally switched off.
This incident sparked renewed debate about the role of technology in sports. Unlike Wimbledon traditions like strawberries, Pimm’s, and on-court tantrums, many fans remain skeptical that high-tech systems deserve a place in the game.
The Shift to Technology: Replacing Humans in Line-Calling
This year, Wimbledon has fully replaced human line judges with an electronic line-calling system developed by Hawk-Eye. The technology uses an array of 12 cameras to track the ball’s trajectory and players’ feet during serves. AI analyzes this data in real time, and a team of 50 human operators manage the process. Recorded human voices—24 different ones drawn from tennis club members and tour guides—announce decisions, aiming to maintain a familiar human touch.
Despite its reliance on artificial intelligence for analysis, the All England Lawn Tennis Club clarifies that AI does not directly officiate calls. CEO Sally Bolton told the BBC, “We have the most accurate officiating we could possibly have here,” expressing confidence that Wimbledon’s system represents the best in the business.
However, after Sunday’s malfunction, human operators no longer have the ability to manually disable the system to avoid repeat errors.
Mixed Reactions from Players and Pundits
Players’ opinions vary on technology’s role in officiating. Britain’s Emma Raducanu recently voiced “disappointment” after questioning electronic line-calling decisions in a match. Yet former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash staunchly supports the tech, telling the BBC, “The electronic line-calling is definitely better than the human eye… generally speaking, the players are happy with it.”
His viewpoint aligns with data: technology is demonstrably more accurate than the human eye across many sports. Iconic examples like Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal in the 1986 World Cup might never have occurred with today’s AI-assisted officiating.
Why the Distrust of Technology?
Professor Gina Neff from Cambridge University offers insight into why we hesitate to fully trust AI in sport. She notes a strong, collective sense of fairness comes into play: “Humans understand the context much better than the machine.” While AI follows programmed rules, humans can weigh multiple values and nuanced considerations to make what “feels” like the fair call.
Professor Neff suggests the debate shouldn’t be framed as humans versus machines, but rather as finding the optimal intersection between people and systems. Responsible AI emphasizes human oversight to deploy technology safely and fairly.
Trouble Beyond Tennis: VAR and Broader Tech Challenges in Sport
Football’s Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has long been controversial, demonstrating the imperfect balance between technology and human judgment. Notably, a significant human error was admitted when VAR failed to correct a wrong offside call in a Tottenham vs. Liverpool match in 2024. Although VAR’s accuracy is high—96.4% in key match incidents last season according to the Premier League—even a single error can provoke anger and affect competition outcomes. Some countries like Norway are reconsidering or discontinuing its use.
Wider Tech Unease: Agency and Acceptance
Entrepreneur Azeem Azhar points to a broader unease with rapid technological change, noting people feel a lack of agency over how AI shapes daily life. As systems evolve quickly, familiar methods become obsolete, forcing people to adjust beliefs and expectations.
This discomfort extends outside sport. For instance, early AI tools that detected cancer from scans were highly accurate but met resistance because patients preferred human doctors’ opinions. Autonomous cars, statistically safer than human drivers in countries like the US and China, still inspire safety fears – a YouGov survey last year found 37% of Brits felt “very unsafe” riding in one.
The Price of Perfection: Is Technology Making Sport Less Human?
Sports journalist Bill Elliott, editor at large of Golf Monthly, reflects on the core dilemma. “What [sports organisers] are trying to achieve, and what they are achieving by using tech is perfection.” While perfection may seem desirable, Elliott warns it risks stripping sport of its imperfections that contribute to excitement and unpredictability.
Technology delivers a flawless playing field but shifts the experience into a “perfect world,” making fans and players more shocked when human or technical errors do occur.
Conclusion
Wimbledon’s line-calling controversy is emblematic of the wider challenge in embracing technology fully in sport. While AI enhances accuracy and consistency, lingering doubts about fairness, human oversight, and emotional connection mean we’re not ready to trust machines outright. The future likely lies in a careful blend—harnessing technology’s precision while preserving human judgment and the rich human elements that define sport.
Related Coverage:
- Emma Raducanu expresses “disappointment” with new tech at Wimbledon
- The evolution of VAR and its controversies in Premier League football
- The role of AI in medical diagnostics: public trust challenges
- Autonomous vehicles: safety data versus public perception in the UK
For more updates from Wimbledon and sports innovation, stay tuned to BBC Sport.
