Taylor Fritz, the American tennis star, has thrust Wimbledon’s new electronic line-calling (ELC) system into the spotlight after a dramatic malfunction disrupted his quarterfinal match against Karen Khachanov on July 8, 2025. The fifth-seeded Fritz, who battled to a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) victory to reach his first Wimbledon semifinal, found himself at the center of controversy when the Hawk-Eye Live system erroneously called a “fault” mid-rally, forcing a point to be replayed. The incident, which Fritz described as “scary,” has reignited debates about the reliability of automated technology at the All England Club, with players, fans, and officials weighing in on whether the system should remain in place.
The glitch occurred in the opening game of the fourth set on No. 1 Court, with Fritz leading 15-0 after a successful second serve. As the players exchanged shots, the system inexplicably called “fault” on a Fritz forehand that landed well within the baseline—approximately four feet in, according to observers. Chair umpire Louise Azemar-Engzell swiftly halted play, consulted with the control room, and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we will replay the last point due to a malfunction. The system is now working.” The crowd responded with scattered boos, reflecting growing frustration with the technology, which replaced human line judges for the first time in Wimbledon’s 147-year history. The All England Club attributed the error to a ball boy still crossing the net as Fritz began his serve, causing the system to misinterpret the rally shot as a serve.
Fritz, while advancing to face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, expressed mixed feelings about the ELC system. “I do like not having to think about challenging calls in the middle of points,” he said, appreciating the elimination of player challenges and disputes with umpires. “I do like that we don’t have to argue about calls and all this stuff. I think it’s a better system.” However, the malfunction gave him pause, as he admitted the incident was unnerving. “It’s a scary match when things are out of your control,” he had previously said about facing big servers like Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round, a sentiment that echoed his reaction to the technology’s unpredictability. The error benefited Fritz, granting him a first serve instead of the second, but he acknowledged its potential to disrupt critical moments.
Khachanov, the 17th seed, won the replayed point but remained calm, noting the moment’s relative insignificance. “If it would happen on a break point or deuce or maybe tiebreaker, OK, you can get more mad,” he said. “But it was just beginning of the set, 15-Love or Love-15. I don’t remember. It was maybe not that important moment. That’s why I stayed really focused and calm.” Yet, Khachanov voiced deeper concerns about the system’s autonomy, calling it “scary” to rely on machines. “I’m more for line umpires, to be honest,” he said, lamenting the absence of human judges. “You feel a little bit the court is too big, too alone without line umpires. Electronic line calls have to be precise and no mistakes, but we’ve seen a couple.”
This was not the ELC’s first misstep at Wimbledon 2025. Just days earlier, during Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s fourth-round win over Sonay Kartal, the system was inadvertently deactivated for three points on Centre Court, missing a shot that landed well past the baseline. The All England Club blamed “human error” and introduced updates to prevent operators from manually disabling the system. “The live ELC system relies on the Hawk-Eye operators, the review official, and the technology to work in harmony,” a spokesperson said, affirming confidence in the system’s accuracy despite the setbacks. However, players like Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have expressed skepticism. “No, I don’t,” Raducanu said when asked if she trusted the system, adding, “I think the other players would say the same thing, there were some pretty dodgy ones but what can you do?”
The Hawk-Eye Live system, which uses 18 cameras per court and delivers calls within a tenth of a second, has been a staple at tournaments like the US Open and Australian Open. Wimbledon’s adoption marked a departure from tradition, ending the use of approximately 300 line judges annually. While Fritz supports the system’s efficiency, the recent errors have sparked calls for reevaluation. “Sometimes it’s scary to let machines do what they want,” Khachanov warned, a sentiment echoed across social media, where fans labeled the technology “a joke” and questioned its reliability in high-stakes matches.
Fritz’s journey to the semifinals, his second at a Grand Slam after the 2024 US Open, has been a testament to his grass-court prowess, bolstered by titles in Eastbourne and Newport. His ability to navigate the ELC controversy without losing focus underscores his maturity, but the incident has broader implications. As Wimbledon grapples with integrating AI-driven technology, the balance between innovation and reliability remains precarious. For now, Fritz is focused on Alcaraz, a matchup he described as “tough but exciting.” Yet, the “scary” malfunction lingers as a reminder that even cutting-edge systems can falter, leaving players and fans wondering if Wimbledon’s technological leap is ready for the sport’s grandest stage.
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