Reform UK has launched a scathing attack on Wimbledon’s decision to eliminate human line judges for the first time in the tournament’s 148-year history.
The party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, condemned the move as “un-British” in a social media post this morning.
“We want our country back. We want Wimbledon line judges back. Enough is enough,” Mr Tice wrote on X/Twitter as the championships began.
The All England Club’s decision to replace the traditional Ralph Lauren-clad officials with electronic line calling technology marks a dramatic break with tradition at SW19.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has hit out at the decision from Wimbledon
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For veteran line judge Wendy Smith, the news brought an abrupt end to over four decades of service at the championships.
“When I heard the tournament was replacing us line judges with electronic line calling, I was gutted,” said Smith, who first worked at Wimbledon in 1982.
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The experienced official lamented that “there’s so much that a human line judge does that a computer just can’t offer.”
“We certainly keep up tennis’s traditions – I think we make the court look fully dressed,” she told The Guardian.
Smith expressed particular disappointment that officials weren’t informed before last year’s tournament, denying them “a chance to say goodbye.”
“I’ll always love tennis, but I don’t think I could bear to go to Wimbledon now as a spectator. It just wouldn’t have the same atmosphere,” Smith added.
The All England Club defended the decision as “inevitable” following extensive testing last year.
Chief executive Sally Bolton stated that the technology was “sufficiently robust” to ensure “maximum accuracy in our officiating.”
Wimbledon becomes the third Grand Slam to adopt electronic line calling, following the Australian Open in 2011 and the US Open in 2022.
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Wimbledon line judges are a thing of the past with electronic trackers replacing them
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Around 80 former officials will serve as match assistants this year, providing support to umpires and acting as backup should the technology fail.
The French Open remains the sole Grand Slam tournament to resist the technological shift.
“I think we are right to keep our referees and line judges at Roland Garros,” said Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation.
“The federation wants to keep our referees for as long as we can.
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Richard Tice hit out at the decision on X
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“I hope we’ll be able to maintain it in our tournaments in the future.”
The removal of line judges represents another erosion of British sporting heritage, with Reform UK’s intervention highlighting concerns about preserving national traditions.
Despite the changes, this year’s prize money has increased by seven per cent to £53.5million, with singles champions receiving £3million each.
