The ATP Tour will enter a new era in 2025, adopting Electronic Line Calling Live technology to ensure accuracy and consistency in officiating across all matches.

The move is set to optimise accuracy and consistency across tournaments, match courts and surfaces, for players competing in both main draw and qualifying events.

The London-based ATP announced Friday that it will use Electronic Line Calling Live, known as ELC Live, for “out” calls in all matches beginning two years from now. Each match will still be overseen by a chair umpire, but the line judges who used to be entrusted with determining where shots landed will no longer be present on court.

ELC Live was first trialled at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2017 in Milan as part of a raft of ambitious technological innovations, several of which have gone on to be implemented on the main Tour.

In recent years, the system has been available for tournaments on a voluntary basis, becoming widely adopted since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Live electronic line calling is delivered through remote tracking cameras around the court, automatically sending the audio line calls in real time.

In addition to improving line-calling accuracy, the all-court ELC Live coverage will offer comprehensive player and ball tracking throughout the entire Tour. This unprecedented access to data will foster in-depth player-performance analysis and the development of new game statistics in collaboration with Tennis Data Innovations (TDI).

“This is a landmark moment for our sport, and not one we’ve reached without careful consideration,” ATP CEO Andrea Gaudenzi said. “Tradition is core to tennis, and line judges have played an important part in the game over the years.

“That said, we have a responsibility to embrace innovation and new technologies,” Gaudenzi added. “Our sport deserves the most accurate form of officiating.”

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