Why does the French Open not have electronic line calling?

The French Open’s decision not to use electronic line calling (ELC) has come under renewed scrutiny after an incident during Joao Fonseca’s win over Casper Ruud at Roland Garros.

With Ruud possessing set point in a tie-break to settle the second set, a forehand from Fonseca appeared to have drifted long – only for the chair umpire to rule that the shot had caught the baseline after inspecting a mark.

Hawk-Eye, the leading provider of ball-tracking technology in tennis, displayed subsequently that the ball had landed out, denying Ruud the set and prompting former French Open winner Jim Courier to question why ELC technology was not in use at the tournament.

The French Open is the only grand slam that still relies on human line judges to make line calls. Wimbledon broke from a 147-year tradition last year to introduce ELC, though endured several issues across the fortnight of action on the grass.

The Australian Open and US Open – played on hard courts – dispensed with human line judges in 2021 and 2022 respectively to solely rely on automated calls.

Electronic line calling uses cameras, computers and sensors to track the ball and inform the umpire whether a ball is in or out. Some have suggested that clay can impact the tracking technology and create a greater margin of error.

Clay courts also have an advantage with a ball imprint being left on the surface, allowing umpires to check close calls, although there is an inherent degree of inaccuracy with this approach.

The head of the French tennis federation (FFT) insisted last year that Roland Garros will have line judges and human decision-making for as long as possible, backing the officials as the best in the world.

“We are a federation where umpires and line judges work every day and, I say this with all humility, we are the best country for providing officials on the tour,” said FFT president Gilles Moretton.

“We take pride in this, we have a strong training system. We are a benchmark and we want to stay that way.

“The federation’s will is to keep line judges as long as possible; right now, the players are driving the train. If one day they unanimously say: ‘We won’t play without the machine,’ we’ll see… But I believe we have a bright future ahead to preserve this officiating pyramid.”